


Until we run out of Christmas

by miraq94



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Clingy, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drinking, Drunk Texting, Established Relationship, Happy, M/M, Mockery, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Teasing, everybody is happy, romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:34:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28194072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraq94/pseuds/miraq94
Summary: Christmas special in the owls' nest.Or: 11 one shots of Akaashi and Bokuto making Christmassy wintery plans.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 32
Kudos: 29





	1. Ice skating

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!!  
> As I always say, be gentle with me because english is not my language and I don't have a beta reader. I've correct everything a hundred times, but still if you see any mistake (whatever it is) pleaseeee let me know!
> 
> I'm super excited about this because I've really worked to have it on time!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matching sweaters, a theft and a misunderstanding.
> 
> Or: the former Fukurodani team goes ice skating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! 
> 
> So I'm going to be doing a Christmas special from the 21frt to the 31frt of December. The plan is to post an one shot every day that are supossed to be set on the same date (ex: if it's the 24rd on the real world, Bokuaka will be living the 24rd as well). Each shot will have its begining and its end, however, they are set in the same timeline and universe, so there might be references of prior days. I've tried to make them clingy, cheesy, fluffy... but there is also teasing and mockery involved. No major drama, not angst and absolutely not tears, it's all safe for breakeable hearts.  
> The extence is going to be in between 2000 and 3000 words each.

Someone suggested it on his first year at Fukurodani (probably Komi, since he is really good at it and stands up from everybody else, unlike on court were the libero just goes by like a shadow) and then, the next year, someone suggested it again (probably Komi once more). They were supposed to go only the second years, but nobody was able to shut up Bokuto about inviting Akaashi as well, so the second years plus Akaashi went. The next year wasn’t even a suggestion, someone just asked at what time should they meet, and from that moment it was stablished that it had become a tradition that will never die through the years.

Including the day of today.

That is the reason of why eight years later of that first time, on the twenty first of December (always the same exact day no matter what, no matter who was dying), Bokuto is sitting on a bench next to an ice rink, with Konoha and Sarukui, freezing his butt out.

“Is it me or it’s colder than thirty minutes ago?”

He shivers while hugging himself, it felt as if the temperature had just dropped fifty degrees in no time.

“Maybe if you hadn’t took off your coat, but don’t take me too serious on that, probably I’m just saying nonsenses” Konoha smirks.

Laying forgotten on the bench is Bokuto’s warm, cosy and wintery coat, whilst he is starting to not feel his limps. Where hell is Akaashi?

“Konoha what a crazy idea! Everybody knows that owl sweatshirts are warmer than coats. _Cra-zy_ ”

“Well, yeah, Saru is right” Bokuto starts. “I can’t hide this cutie”

He looks at his sweatshirt with the proudness of a father seeing his child graduating from college. It is simple pale pink, but in the centre there is a customized drawing of two owls (resembling very much to Akaashi and himself), a volleyball above them and a speech balloon with the words “HOOT, HOOT, HOOT? DIDJA SEE THAT?” coming from one of the owls (his).

“Yes, Bokuto, your sweatshirt of your boyfriend and you drawn into owls is amazing, you love Akaashi so much and owls are the best. Now, PUT THE DAMN COAT ON!”

Konoha has always taken the job of parenting Bokuto in Akaashi’s absence. A tradition that doesn’t die through the years, neither.

“Not until Keiji gets here” He puffs his cheeks with stubbornness.

“I don’t think you should rely on his authority to make you be responsible, you know”

Konoha gives a look directed to Sarukui and Bokuto kind of guesses that this is not going to look good for him.

“Yes, Bokuto, you are a grown man and our poor baby Akaashi is not your father”

Sarukui smiles using the creepy one, it’s always so scary that makes Bokuto shiver more violently than before.

“Either you start behaving or he will have to find another man who doesn’t need someone blowing his nose”

“It’s not like that” He frowns, he is not liking the conversation at all.

“Yeah and as pretty as he is it won’t be difficult, I’m pretty sure we could even find him some fine candidates today”

“SHUT UP YOU BOTH, I’M SAYING IT’S NOT LIKE THAT”

Keiji loves him, he has found him more than once and twice hiding a smile when parenting him.

NO, WAIT.

Keiji doesn’t parent him, he is an adult, his boyfriend just finds endearing when he acts like a child. Yes, that is it.

WAIT, NO.

That is not, either.

“What it’s not like that?”

Bokuto straightens his stand recognising the sweet voice of his saviour.

“Akaashi, the man!” Sarukui approaches him and pats his back, Akaashi nods at him and at Konoha and then fixes his eyes on his shivering boyfriend, it’s too soon to start scolding him.

“Why are you not wearing a coat, Koutarou?”

Bokuto looks at him from head to toes.

“Why are _you_ wearing a coat?”

Akaashi sighs, guessing what is going on.

“Bokuto, put the coat on”

The volleyball player ignores him completely.

“I feel so betrayed right now, I mean, what are you? My boyfriend or my worst enemy?”

Not so far from them, Washio’s head pops out from the crowd of people and, thanks to his tall presence, Komi was being able to be spotted as well. However, he is not worried, once he puts the skates on his feet he is the one to be noticed.

“Hello my most beloved former team mates. Have you been g… Bokuto, why are you not wearing a coat?”

Bokuto puffs childishly making the air closer to his face looked white with the warmness of his breath.

“Why is everybody so obsessed with me and my coat?”

He just wanted to be cool, but everything was going the other way around.

“My coat and I”

“No, not with you Konoha, with me”

Probably the only one that doesn’t burst into a laugh is Akaashi, who is looking at him with endearing and loving eyes.

Well, no.

Akaashi is laughing, too.

“Last time I checked my hands were getting frostbites and you are just walking around in a sweatshirt” Komi says.

“It wouldn’t sound half as crazy, if my supposed s **owl** mate hadn’t betrayed me”

All the eyes travel to Akaashi with wonder in them, he lets go a sigh.

“You didn’t expect me to go around on this temperature in only a sweatshirt, did you?” He knows his boyfriend was expecting exactly that, though.

While Bokuto makes a pout, like the wounded lover he is, Konoha’s eyes widen at the understanding of those words.

“Don’t you tell me…” but he can’t finish the sentence bursting into a laugh that have him bending over himself.

The other ones look, kind of guessing kind of wondering what is happening.

“Yes, we are wearing matching sweatshirts” He lets the truth go in resignation.

“Don’t say it as if you were announcing that Hitler won the war!”

Then it happens all at once, the rest of the team joins Konoha in his bending laugh.

At this point Bokuto just wants to cuddle into himself and cry, all his incredible plan gone through the gutter. They were supposed to look really cool and the others get amazed once they saw them hip against hip, speech babble next to speech babble.

However, Keiji’s incapacity of tolerating the cold has prevented him from that joy.

Meanwhile Bokuto is sulking with his glaze directed to the ground, Akaashi makes a face to the former team, just like the old days. At the same time he is putting the coat off, and freezing, and cursing his big baby boyfriend and the things that are done in the name of love.

He moves next to Bokuto, so it can be read: “HOOT, HOOT? DIDJA SEE THAT?” “Hoot, hoot. Yes”

And, of course, the team understands. How could they not when are things that could never be forgotten.

“Woooow, Bokuto, your sweaters are amazing!”

“The owls are the living image of you both”

“Was it your idea, Bokuto?”

“Of course it was, Komi, we wouldn’t expect less from our _normal_ ace”

When Bokuto moves his head to Akaashi his eyes lighten up like any other Christmas light is capable of, bright and blinding, and Akaashi wonders if a little bit of cold wouldn’t have been worth it for that simple pure happiness.

“Now, can we all go to for what we’ve come here, skate?”

Sarukui pats his head, making himself look taller.

“You just want to gain centimetres, recognize it, Komi”

“Shut up”

“Don’t need to be so eager, with everybody wearing skates you, my child, will look short as usual”

“SHUT UP, YOU IDIOTS OR I WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY SHORTNESS AND KICK YOUR ASSES”

Bokuto isn’t able to put away his grin, he isn’t just glad the tradition went on in time, but also that their friendship continued to be the same, perhaps a little bit more mature (or maybe not), but definitely the bone remained like tough roots.

The skating ring is big and shiny, thousands of different kinds of blue and white lights stacked at its borders, and in the centre of it, a plastic Christmas tree garnished with balls of all the colours of the rainbow. It kind of looked like something coming out from a terrible romantic cliché Christmas movie.

Bokuto loves skating the nearest as possible from the tree, brushing with his fingers a branch or a ball whenever he can without jeopardizing his stability. Sometimes being yelled by the security guard, sometimes by Keiji, although in the end, it’s always worth it. Because he gets to touch the Christmas tree while skating with his friends at the beginning of the Holiday, and in his language this means good luck.

“Watch me, you losers!”

Komi yells at the same time he jumps to do a pirouette, is not more than a simple full twist into the air, however, enough to attract some kids to cheer him. Looking at the scene, Bokuto feels brave enough to increase his speed and skate towards Keiji, grab him by the waist and lift him from the ice.

“Koutarou!”

He gulps in surprise and holds on his shoulders, fearing for his butt.

“I’m going to throw you like those skating couples, make a nice pirouette, better than Komi’s”

The excitement is all over his face and voice, pretty similar as when he spikes.

“I swear it, Koutarou, if you let go off a single finger of me you will be spending Christmas single”

“What, no!”

Bokuto puts him down though he straightens the grip, smashing hips against hips, noses touching. Keiji starts to make circles in one of his shoulders, preventing himself from smoothing away with his fingers his boyfriend pout.

“Don’t joke about that, Keiji, you know I don’t like it”

“I’m sorry” He isn’t and both of them know it.

“It’s Christmas, a time to be kind and corny, cut out the sassiness”

It’s not like Akaashi didn’t want to, it’s just that he loves a wee bit too much Koutarou’s pouts, they are his weakness. Not that he knows, for the sake of himself Koutarou will never be aware of that fact.

“What if I give you a forgiveness kiss?”

“I’m not sure, I may need more than one”

He leans and Bokuto manages to meet him halfway, even if they were already touching, it’s more a sweet than a passionate kiss, although there is tongue involved. He brushes Bokuto’s check, caress that is copied back making him unable to help a smile.

“I think I’m going to get sick, Saru”

“Yeah, I got you. I don’t know what is clingier, if Bokuto French kissing our baby or touching the Christmas tree like a kid”

Konoha and Saru pass next to them skating with serious faces, arms behind their backs and not even looking at them.

“I allow you to be sarcastic with them”

Akaashi tilts his head, resembling a curious owl, then lifts a finger to give a couple of tips against his mouth.

“But they are not telling lies”

“AGAAAAAAASHEEEEIIIEE”

Akaashi jiggled with the lyrics of jingle bell sounding on the background, maybe he is looser on this time of the year, too. Jiggling like when he started dating Koutarou and couldn’t bottle up his contentment. By then he was seventeen, his behaviour was more than excused, now though…

_Lame._

He tends his hand and when Koutarou intertwines their fingers he starts moving, dragging him along. And they skate like that for the next whole hour, wishing he could do it holding both hands instead of only one, since Koutarou’s are little heaters, yet wearing gloves. He is feeling so Christmassy that even gives in and agrees to approach the tree to touch together one of the branches.

“Can we take one ball home?”

When Bokuto has to ask is because he already knows the answer, although there are times where the surprise reigns.

“No”

Well, apparently today is not one of those times.

“It would look really cool on our tree”

Akaashi prepares himself to skate away knowing if he stays the question would go on and on and on.

“No”

Bokuto knows the pouting homeless kitty face has some kind of effect in his boyfriend, but unluckily doesn’t seem to be working this time. So he leaves it there to follow Keiji out of the ring were the others are waiting for them. He leaves it as if it was his dearest dream and not just a piece of plastic coloured in metallic fuchsia.

“I swear, nowadays parents are mentally damaged. I was only teaching those girls how to pirouette, for god’s sake, I’m not attracted to children!”

Konoha and Sarukui were already wiping tears from the laugh, even Akaashi’s mouth corners were starting to lift, the only one who maintained the composure was Washio and only because he was dealing with the situation talking to the security guard.

“Have someone accused you of being a pederast?”

Bokuto asks scandalized.

“Those crazy protective parents, this is the society that awaits for us, over spoiled and protected kids”

“Just recognize it, Komi, you like them shorter than you and the only ones that fit are the children”

“DON’T EVEN JOKE ABOUT IT”

But it doesn’t matter, they will tease him forever with this unfortunate accident, and memes will be send at their WhatsApp group and maybe, probably, most certainly, someone will give him a doll as a Christmas gift.

“Everything is all right, I’ve calmed them down and no charges are going to be presented”

It is a wonder how Washio, the tallest and scariest, hasn’t made it worst, Christmas is a wonderful time, without question.

Not much after they farewell each other with a bunch of new photos on their phones and Akaashi feeling bone frozen swearing to not wear more matching clothes on winter unless they are gloves, they walk back to their apartment half hugging.

“Hey, Kou”

He calls him in a heavy whisper and Koutarou can’t do anything more than halt, because those two words carried something with them.

“Here” He takes an object from his pocket and tends it to his boyfriend, who grabs it with expectant owlish eyes. “Merry pre-Christmas or whatever”

Koutarou looks at it, and it can be seen the moment his mind clicks and recognizes what is it about.

“Wha. Kei. OH MY GOD” All his face brightens up and he can’t help himself from wrapping his arms around Keiji and take all the air from his lungs with a hugs.

It is one of the ice rink Christmas tree decoration, two peppermint sticks crossed between each other.

“It’s not the ball, but…”

“No, no…” He pulls him into a kiss, sappy and sweet, because there is no words he can say and he is feeling way too much. “I love you, Keiji, I love you to the Pole North and back”

Maybe his homeless kitty pouting face does actually work, in the end.

“Can we set up the decorations when we get home?”

“No”

“Plis?”

“No”

“Pretty please?”

“No, we are doing it tomorrow”

“Oh… What if we wait to midnight, then it will be tomorrow”

“I’m throwing this to the river”

“NO, you stole it for me, is mine! Besides, the river is for the fish, not for the plastic, uncivilized”

“Wait, did I use uncivilized correctly?


	2. Cristmas decorations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise, the Grinch, and some kisses.
> 
> Or: Akaashi and Bokuto decorate their home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! 
> 
> Well, probably half of the world has already their decorations, buuut it's time for this two to set them up.
> 
> As I always say, english is not my language so any mistakes you find let me know!

One thing about their home is that the living room has a huge ceiling, formed by the longest walls. The reason behind this fact it’s his flat being on the top floor, it has its disadvantages as being the hottest one during summer, but it also have some perks, like nobody making noise or allowing them to put a huge Christmas tree that with any other ceiling wouldn’t have fitted.

Bokuto is more than grateful for that. If they ever move, it would have to be to another home that made it possible, perhaps to a house with a big garden so he would get to decorate a lot of natural trees. Yes, that would be totally cool.

“Hey, Akaash’, next time we move it has to be to a house, or even better, to a cottage into the mountains. I’m not settling for anything less”

He shoves a whole dumpling into his mouth, eager to finish dinner even if that jeopardizes the chewing process.

“Perhaps you can move there with your new boyfriend”

Akaashi, opposite to his boyfriend, bites the dumpling into small pieces, it would be a shame to finish them so soon being that delicious.

“Aaaag, you say those kind of jokes with such a straight face that is almost scaring”

“Who says I’m joking?”

“AKAAAAASHEEEE”

A bunch of food flies away from Bokuto’s mouth to Akaashi’s face, leaving little chewed chunks everywhere.

“He, he, sorry” He leans on the table to wipe away the food with his own napkin. “Can you hurry up thought, you are such a slow eater”

“I’m not a slow eater. Now, sit peacefully and chew before swallowing, it won’t make a difference to put the decorations fifteen minutes earlier or later, but if you have stomach-ache later I won’t be taking care of you”

Both of them know that is a completely lie. Nevertheless, Bokuto is the worst patient on earth. Literal and metaphorically.

“I’ll go and start taking the things out, you can finish dinner in peace”

He stands from the stool and puts his plate into the sink before he starts to walk out of the kitchen. Wearing a big and untouchable smile all the time.

“I’m going to eat your mochi”

Bokuto stops in a halt almost skidding with his heels at those words.

“Don’t. You. Dare. I’m saving it for later”

Bokuto’s attempt of intimidating eyes aren’t really threatening.

By the time Akaashi finishes, Bokuto has already set up a Christmas camp on their living room, there are boxes everywhere, on the table, on the sofa, there are even ornaments hanging from the television. What is the most meticulously laid is all the crafting material laying on the coffee table.

“Here is everything we need and more, I’ve even bought extra, just in case”

He doesn’t need to swear it since the wood of the table can’t even be seen. There are all kind of material anyone can imagine, sheets of paper and cardboards, sprinkles in different forms and shapes, washi tapes, stickers, confetti, markers, pens… all in different colours, especially white, gold and black, because those were the colours of their Christmas, Fukurodani’s ones (entangled with a bit of green and red, too).

“Are you ready to craft?” He asks tending the scissors to Akaashi and settling himself in front of the table.

“Yes” He takes the scissors and joins him on the floor.

“You could sound a little bit more enthusiastic, not everybody gets to create their own Christmas decorations” He pokes Akaashi’s nose and moves to get into business, should he start with the wall decorations or making the fake presents?

“Lucky ones”

“Gezz, I forgot I was dating the Grinch”

Then he gasps as if he had thought of something and grabs a piece of paper, writes something on it then puts some glue and sticks it against Akaahi’s forehead.

“This tag says Grinch and you need to earn its removal, so behave and be cherish because the Grinch doesn’t get Christmas presents and neither Christmas cuddles” He points him with a gold sprinkle pen.

“Where do I need to sing?”

He raises an eyebrow teasing, but Bokuto knows better and ignores him deciding to focus on folding and cutting a sheet of gold paper to make a garland.

The both of them work quietly for a while, which it kinds of sounds weird since Bokuto is the loudest person of the planet and Christmas the loudest season. Perhaps, negative plus negative gives positive for real, however, is a little bit boring.

So Akaashi starts to trace a line of kisses on Koutarou’s shoulder going up until reaching the ear.

“You are not going to buy me with kisses, especially if they are more passionate than sweet”

Even if he doesn’t bother to give a single look to Akaashi, his rough voice gives him away, so his Akaashi remains stack to his ear the next time he speaks.

“Do you want me to stop?”

A shiver crosses his whole body and nothing has to do with winter, but he is strong, he is so strong that he is the ace of his team.

The Grinch is not fooling with him.

“I want you to focus on the tasks ahead of you” Before retrieving himself, Akaashi blows into his ear giving him chills. “You can let go a kiss in between decoration and decoration, but that is all”

He tries to say it casual but he is always so eager and ready for cuddles that is too obvious and Akaashi is not buying it.

“Nah, I’m going to give my whole attention to this”

Keiji gives him a smile, one that is returned, none of them sincere, they both know how the other is teasing.

So, for the next hour, they only share mere comments as: _I’m making black snowflakes_ **or** _I’m gluing red glitter to the candles and you are so grinch_ **or** _your elbow is nudging me all the time_ **or** _well,_ _your foot is touching mine, too_ **or** _I bought a dozen mistletoes so better start hydrating your lips_ **or** _what_?

Everything comes out as their personalities, Bokuto’s are glittery, big and loud and rushed on the edges, whilst Akaashi’s are more minimalistic, just a few touches were need it and neatly cut.

“I’m really proud, they are almost as pretty as you”

Koutarou leans to give him a butterfly kiss on the crock of his neck. He takes his time to pull away since Keiji is rubbing his back in little circles, there is nothing that feels more like Christmas than this warm sensation that yells home.

Then it’s time they put up the enormous Christmas tree, it barely avoids touching the ceiling (space designated for the star), also its lights and the ones on the balcony.

“Now it’s time for the best moment, the decorations!” He breathes heavily.

“It’s the third time you say that”

“Well, Keiji, _everything_ is the best moment, I can’t chose.

Just to accentuate the drama his mouth lets go a whine that sounds like a banshee cry.

“And this year we get to hang a stolen ornament” He says while showing it as a war prize.

“You shouldn’t sound so proud about it”

He kind of scolds him even if it was himself who took it.

“My little thief, I feel proud of _you_ ”

Koutarou lifts his hand to caress his check, rubbing his thumb against the cheekbone and then going down to the lips.

“Don’t be, it was your fault” He looks away with a bit of embarrassment, although his flushed face leans on the touch. “Anyway, I’ve got a surprise for you”

There are times were Koutarou resembles more to him to a puppy than to and owl. He can even picture him moving his tail happily.

“A surprise? What is it?”

“A surprise it is. I need to go and grab it”

“Okay, where should I wait, by the Christmas tree? On the sofa?”

His head is not taking a rest from moving, probably the tail equivalent.

“Sitting on the sofa is fine”

Koutarou does as he is told and takes a sit on the edge of the sofa being very still, he gives him a smile before disappearing into the hallway. He can’t help keeping the smile, Koutarou loves surprises, but is too impatient to stand them, is really endearing to watch.

A few seconds later.

“KEIJI, WHAT IS TAKING YOU SO LONG, ARE YOU PUTTING LINGERIE ON?” He was getting restless, what if the lingerie was for real, oh gosh, he felt like dying only imagining it.

The truth is that Keiji is just sitting on their bed, making time, he has already folded the clothes they had used that day, get the bed ready to go to sleep, he has even put in order three books that weren’t in their right spot.

“KEIJII!!” And then. “AGAAAAAAAAASHIIIIIIIIII”

Teasing Koutarou would never grew old.

He takes the object and hides it behind his back while walks slowly to the living room.

“You are not wearing lingerie”

He narrows his eyes at the image of his full dressed boyfriend.

“Of course not. Now, extend your hands and close your eyes” Koutarou does as commanded, extending his arms a wee bit more than necessary. “No cheating or the Grinch tag will go to you” Because yes, he still has the paper stack to his forehead.

He again takes his time, first brushing Koutarou’s hands, then the biceps, he loves how built they are, then kiss each wrist and keeps one of them against his lips, smiling there, teeth touching skin.

“Keiji, I adore this, but I know you are only doing it to tease me and I also know of someone who is never getting rid of the Grinch tag”

Akaashi laughs and Bokuto curses under his breath, those are the equivalent of what his pouting does to Keiji, Bokuto can’t find in himself to say no when Akaashi laughs. And he is glad he is sitting, because when Keiji whispers in his ear an apology he goes weak on the knees.

Then a light weight settles on his hands.

“Can I open my eyes?”

“Yes”

When he does so, his heart sinks, or flies, Bokuto is not sure about it, probably both, first it falls to the floor and then it collides against the ceiling.

“Keiji” His voice comes out in a thread. “Can I cry? I feel like I could cry a river”

Akaashi smiles fondly, he is trying to give him space and not touch him, since he is aware of how overwhelmed Koutarou can get. Although, in that moment he just wants to hug him and protect his innocent boyfriend from the world (even if this meant from his teasing as well) (spoiler: he will never ever cease).

“Yes, you can cry”

He finally doesn’t, what he indeed does is exanimate the surprise with his heart in the throat, feeling every heartbeat.

It’s a single transparent plastic ball, which purpose is to hang on the tree, of the size of his hand, just a little bit bigger than the typical, with laze made of satin rope. The exiting thing is its inside, making it the best Christmas ornament in the world. No, the best Christmas ornament in the Galaxy.

There are two solid plastic owls, but not just any, the ones they had customized for the sweaters, the ones they had drawn to resemble of them. Koutarou’s white and grey wearing a scarf and a kind of sleepy face, and Keiji’s brown and white with the big eyebrows and a hat. There was fake snow as well to make it look as if it was snowing in that little world of its own.

It was a ball of the both of them.

Koutarou hugged it tightly against his chest.

“This is the best surprise gift ever!!” Without letting the press go, he stand up and used the free arm to squeeze Keiji from the side, he is squeezed back by two arms. “I’m never putting this in a box”

“I guessed as much”

His smiles fondly and traces the line of his eyebrows with a finger, he was well aware when he got it to be made that his boyfriend probably would even want to sleep with it.

“Where would you get it?”

“From Santa”

“Maybe we can ask Santa for a whole collection of them, I’ve got a lot of ideas! Hoot hoots skiing, hoot hoots baking….”

He starts to move his arms like crazy so Akaashi lets go.

“Can we continue with the decorations, I remember you we’ve got work tomorrow morning”

And after, he has his job Christmas party, sleeping was much more necessary than in a normal day.

“Yes, yes, of course. Sorry, this was just so amazing. Can we put it first and together?”

Akaashi nods and as their approached he extends his hand to take both the laze and Koutarou’s hand. They smile to each other while hanging it somewhere around the middle of the tree, they linger their intertwined fingers for a few seconds after, and before getting down to work with the rest of it.

In the end their home looks like this, a few coloured garlands and various drawings decorating walls and doors, some glittered candles distributed around the house (on the tables, the nightstands, in the kitchen), a kind of big reindeer made of wire in the entrance, lights tangled around the fence of the balcony, and a huge tree with the perfect ball and a stolen ornament hanging from it.

There is only one thing missing.

“Are you sure you don’t wanna do it?”

Akaashi asks doubtfully, feeling like stealing him the moment.

“Yes, I want _you_ to do it, I rather be the ladder”

“We can use a chair, you know” He rolls his eyes.

“No, this is my wish, lifting you”

Akaashi lets go a surprised gulp, before he even has time to nod, Bokuto is lifting him on his shoulder.

“You weight like a feather, I could have you here for the whole eternity without getting tired”

He makes a few jumps to prove his words.

“Shut up and stop moving”

Then, on the top of the tree, he puts the last piece that was missing, the star.

Even if his true star is under him at the moment.

“You have earn getting rid of the Grinch”

He says as he takes the paper from Akaashi’s forehead and places a kiss where the tag was.

Lucky for him, Koutarou has forgotten about the non-existent anymore saved for later mochi, otherwise the Grinch tag wouldn’t go anywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! <3


	3. HEY, HEY, HEY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drinks, striptease, pregnant Akaashi and Bokuto the knight in shiny armor.
> 
> Od: Akaashi gets drunk at his work party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!
> 
> I really had fun writing this one, so I hope you have fun reading it haha Although people usually don't get my humour soooooo -.-'  
> Regardless, I hope you enjoy it, funny or not funny.

The first drink was on him. He had grabbed it from one of the waiter’s tray, because what was a work party without a singles glass of wine.

The second one came from his favourite co-worker, he had come to him carrying two glasses of champagne in his hands, and as he was still full sober and they needed to cheer and drink away for all the _stressful-wanna-die_ times shared together, he accepted it without hesitation.

The third one was special and unavoidable. That time it was something stronger than the two from earlier, a transparent cocktail with strawberries cut in Christmas tree shape. The prior alcohol had already started to get into his head, not so much, but enough to make him find himself wanting to jiggle to stupid things, something not good to his image and definitely something he wouldn’t have even thought about it sober. However, that glass was delivered by his boss, so he couldn’t just refuse.

It was strong and hard to swallow, the alcohol being more powerful than the sparkling beverage that accompanied it. Nevertheless, the glass came along with a pat on his shoulder and a congratulations on handling alcohol like a professional. His boss also told him how happy he was with having him on the team.

Probably, the other man was also under the effects of the drink, in any case, he wasn’t going to complain about receiving a direct compliment from his boss, even more, those words fired up his already hot blood.

The fourth cup went down his throat unnoticed, he didn’t remember if he was the one who took it or someone put it on his hand. He did remember that he finished it in almost two gulps and deposited the glass with so much enthusiasm on the table that it broke in various pieces.

Ah. Yeah…

He also yelled _I’M A PROFESIONAL DRINKER_.

The fifth…

Well, in reality he wasn’t sure if there had been a fifth, his brain couldn’t recall it, so maybe yes, maybe not.

In any case, he was a drunk person with a phone in his hand.

 _Olways_ a bad combination.

From: Bowlkuto

R u okay, Keiji?

Do I need to worry?

To: Bowlkuto

Im PER-FECT.

Never been BE-TTER.

Why ya askin?

From: Bowlkuto

U wrote 4 times ILY.

And that u wanna kiss every 1 of my toes.

To: Bowlkuto

U got cute toes.

Wait.

U don’t wanna?

He feels a hand squeezing his shoulder, in other circumstances he would have jumped at the sudden touch, but at the moment he is too focus trying to maintain his equilibrium with his head against the wall to be able to have any reaction.

“Are you okay, Akaashi-kun?”

He inclines his head to the right to look at the owner’s hand, a woman from another department with which he has coffee some mornings.

“I don’t know, I think my boyfriend thinks I’m weird and doesn’t love me”

She makes a face he can’t read. Does she agree with Koutatou?

“Why do you think so?”

But he doesn’t have time to answer as his phone vibrates announcing a new message.

From: Bowlkuto

I want everything from u!!

But answer my question.

Do I need to worry?

He hums letting go a big sigh and also wipes the rebellious tears that had escaped from his eyes. Traitors.

“He does love me, my handsome muscular built boyfriend loves me and wants everything from me”

Isn’t life wonderful?

To: Bowlkuto

Nothing to worry about.

I lof u.

I lof u.

I LOF U.

“I’m glad to hear that” She pets his head messing with his perfect styled curls. “Now, no more tears and no more boyfriends, let’s dance”

He allows her to drag him to the space where others co-workers are already using to dance, originally it wasn’t its purpose, however, someone just started to take the tables and chairs out of the way away to make the necessary room.

“My boyfriend is owlays with me” It’s impossible for him to accomplish the _no more boyfriends_ part because Koutarou is everywhere, like now on those spiky plants.

The woman makes a confused look at the same time she makes him spin.

“Owlays?”

Spinning is fun, he has to go out with Koutarou more often, sure he can make him spin on the air with those strong arms.

“Yes, owlays in my heart”

The woman laughs and he is not sure if he has said anything funny, but her nose is making little squeezes like a pick and _that_ is funny, so he laughs as well.

“Young love, who could have it again”

Some spins later he finds himself in a deep need of using the toilet, his bladder is bursting and he strongly feels the necessity of letting his boyfriend know, so he takes a photo of his penis while peeing, then bursts loudly while sending it.

From: Bowlkuto

KEIJI?

WTF?

WT ACTUAL F?

To: Bowlkuto

I was peeing.

I was bursting.

I peed a river.

From: Bowlkuto

I CAN SEE THAT.

OMG KEIJI.

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU DRANK?

To: Bowlkuto

Not much.

Not enough.

Love is young.

Life is funny.

From: Bowlkuto

What?

Listen.

I love ur penis, but not more photos like this.

Keiji, still in the restroom, tugged his pants and boxers down, was there something with his penis? Does it look bad on camera? Or maybe, NO, NO, NO.

To: Bowlkuto

Are u mad?

OMG, U R MAD.

IM SO SORRY 4 BEING SO USELESS

Just break up with me already

TT

More rebellious tears start falling from his eyes, his one and true love was going to break up with him.

What is with all the reckless emotions?

Maybe he is pregnant, they sometimes don’t use condom.

Oh god…

From: Bowlkuto

NO.

KEIJI, I LOF U 4REVER, U KNOW.

Now have fun and mayb don’t drink more.

Call me to pick u up.

To: Bowlkuto

Im happy to know that, I was crying TT

LOF U MORE.

No need 2 pick me up.

BTW, I think im pregnant.

From: Bowlkuto

Yes, u need.

Call me or I will DO get mad.

WTHAT DO U MEAN U R PREGNANT

He is not going to call him, the party is lasting forever, it will never end so picking him up is pointless.

The next drink it can’t be considered a whole drink, so he has three. Someone, he doesn’t know who (but makes a mental note to give them a Christmas present) starts serving shots in dessert plates. It’s kind of tricky to drink it without spilling all the liquid over himself, however, he manages well enough imagining that, instead of a plate, he is drinking it from Koutarou’s toned abs.

From: Bowlkuto

U r a man.

Don’t scare me.

U CAN’T b pregnant.

To: Bowlkuto

Im drinkin from ur abs

From: Bowlkuto

WHAT?

From: Bowlkuto

They r SO hard

U r SO HOOOOOT

From now on, they r my official plate and glass

From: Bowlkuto

WHAT?

WHAT??

Someone puts his phone away and takes him to dance again, he lets himself be dragged to the centre of the crow, where he is pressed in between his boss and the general manager.

 _The general manager_.

 _The one that rules the whole_ _company_.

And that person is dancing grabbing his hips and jumping at the rhythm of the music.

Some rational part of his brain, which still remain untouched, is telling him this is not a good idea, he decides that he needs another abs-plate-shoot to shut it up. But before, he takes a selfie with them.

From: Bowlkuto

KEIJI?

KEIJIIIII?

R U OK?

To: Bowlkuto

[image]

Me and my mother f* bosses

From: Bowlkuto

My bosses and I*

GOD, u really r drunk

Stop, u r goin to get into trouble

Im picking u up

“You know what is missing?” Some other random person says to him, it appears as he doesn’t know half of the hilarious people he works with. “A show, something that gives the plus ultra to the party, like a live singer or drag queens, yeah, drag queens would be the coolest”

“That is just _totally_ true” Someone else jumps into the conversation, this time he does know him, is the reception guy

Then it sparkles in his head, why should they bring drag queens when they got _them_. He puts a hand on the shoulder of each one, leans a little to be at the same height, and talks as if he was going to spill some dirty secret.

“I’ve got the best idea, we are going to do the show”

They nod their heads and applause in agreement, some other person (the financial manager) pops her head and throws herself into the project.

So they get into work while he bosses them around, is a good sensation being in control of everybody, put the tables there, more to the left, go and ask the dj for the song… yes, he could get used to this.

To: Bowlkuto

Im doin a striptease.

On a table

With 3 other people

 _Make It Wit Chu_ sounding

No worry, I’ll have someone recording so u can see it later

From: Bowlkuto

KEIJI, BABY

IT’S NOT A GOOD IDEA

I REPEAT

 **NOT NOT NOT** A GOOD IDEA

To: Bowlkuto

Why, u owlays say Im so sexy

WAS THAT A LIE?

Maybe the striptease wasn’t such a good idea after all, maybe people would found him too slim. If he just had Kou’s gods like body…

From: Bowlkuto

NO, U R THE MOST HANDSOME

U R PERFECT

I’M HARD JUST THINKING ABOUT U

He sighs, maybe when he gets home they can watch the recording together while touching each other’s cocks.

Suddenly he feels his pants too tight at that though.

To: Bowlkuto

Then it’s a good idea :D

Btw, now im hard

Hard 4 u

From: Bowlkuto

NO, KEIJI WAIT

U R AT A WORK PARTY

IT WON’T LOOK GOOD IF U DO IT IN FRONT OF UR BOSSES

DON’T DO IT

He pecks a look around the room, two of the bosses are doing twerking on a corner while a crowd of people cheer them up. It definitely can’t be a bad idea.

From: Bowlkuto

KEIJI IM OMW

ALMOST THERE

DON’T DO ANYTHING

He groups with the striptease team to talk about movements and timings, because it doesn’t matter how drunk he is, there is no way his performance is going to look vulgar or cheap.

He crosses his fingers for Koutarou to be fastest than fast and get to see him in direct.

When the four of them are in their positions right after a girl from the IT department introduces the show, feeling tickles in his fingertips, someone opens the door abruptly.

“KEIJI, NOOOOOOOO”

He runs towards his boyfriend with an intensity he has never had receiving a ball.

“Koutarou, you made it on time!”

He claps happily, someone from the audience yells that they got another stripper and probably a dozen are recording the moment.

“Yes” He finally breathes and takes one hand to his poor heart. The taxi was too slow due to the traffic that he had to get off of it and run the half of the way there. “I’ve made it just in time”

He doesn’t beat around the bush knowing that Keiji will put a fight on and grabs him like a potatoes sac, throwing him over his shoulder.

“Bokuto! What are you doing? I have a show to lead, put me down this right instant”

He pats him on the back with uncontrolled strength, nonetheless, Koutarou doesn’t even make a sound, only tightens the grip. The music, _his_ music, starts sounding while he is being kidnapped and not a single soul moves a finger to help him, eyes glued to the scenario-table-made.

“Koutarou!”

“I’m not putting you down, Keiji, I’m taking you home” He keeps moving roughly out of the restaurant. “You will thank me tomorrow”

“No, wait, Bokuto”

“I’m telling you…”

He makes another brusque movement, it’s going to be the end of him.

“I’M GOING TO GET SICK” He covers his mouth with both hands.

“Oh, shit”

Just as that he puts him down, on the street ground and bends no help him, making soft circles in his back with one of his hands while with the other holds his forehead. In the end, he doesn’t vomit, not being upside down helps enough to prevent it.

“I feel slightly better”

Bokuto rubs his pack for a little more before pulling them up and imprison his waist with an arm.

“Good, now let’s grab a taxi and go home”

He tries without success to free himself from the hold.

“Listen, Keiji, if you wanna get naked in front of people, we will go to a strip club or we will invite some friends over, but I’m not letting you go back there to put a show with all your bosses and co-workers watching and filming”

Keiji makes a pout and Bokuto just wants to kill himself, he is too damn cute.

He unwraps him to face him face to face.

“Now, let me take you home, please”

He extends a hand, and after a few more pouts, Keiji grabs it and then clings into his whole arm, face pressed against his shoulder and his warm breath playing around the neck and the ear.

“Can we go on foot? I could really use the air”

He asks permission with a childish tone and Bokuto laughs before agreeing, they have just changed roles.

It takes way longer than it should have to get home, primarily due to Akaashi necessity of stopping every three or five minutes to kiss Bokuto, on the lips and on all the others zones he is able to manage while half walking. He trips sometimes as well, by the tenth Bokuto decides to piggyback him, something he might and might not regret since Akaashi sucks his neck nonstop giving him chills and goosebumps all over the body.

“I looooooooove youuuuuuuu” Bite on the lobe. “You are the best boyfriend in the galaxy, in all galaxies” Kiss, kiss, kiss. “I’m the luckiest person to have you. You are so sexy, Kou”

All Bokuto can do is smile like a freak, probably there is nothing else to see in his face but the smile.

“Hey, you” Akaashi stops a passerby by grabbing them a shoulder, the person looks at him with confused eyes. “I love him. Isn’t he the best?”

“Pardon me?”

“No, no _, look_ at him, he is a star, we should be thankful that he landed here of all possible places”

The persons looks at Bokuto, but definitely not in the way Akaashi was asking.

“Keiji, please!”

He bows in an apology, however, when the person is out of sight he burst into a laugh. As much as he felt embarrassed it was also funny.

He falls backwards into the sofa with Keiji still tangled around him, at that point he just doesn’t care about crashing him.

“Stay here, I’m going to get things ready to shower you and take you to bed”

But before he can even make a move, Keiji tightens de grip.

“Baby?”

Akaashi is smelling the zone where his nape dies and his hair starts.

“You smell _soooo_ good, can I use your shampoo?”

There is only one shampoo in that house, if Keiji didn’t stink at alcohol, he would smell the same.

“Sure”

Akaashi hums in approval, and Bokuto can feel his teethe smile pressed against his own skin. He has never wished that hard to have eyes on his nape.

“I’m thirsty, can I use your tone abs to drink sake?” 

“No” The teethe smile disappears. “You can drink water” Why is he so weak?

“HEY, HEY, HEY”

**23:50h. Two hours later.**

His head was spinning, his tongue felt drier than a whole day in the desert without water, he was wearing Koutarou’s pyjamas (loose on every angle of his not so muscular body) and he was alone in bed.

He grabs his phone from the night table. Wrong decision.

Now his head was spinning faster.

He wants to disappear into the loose pyjama.

His tongue could be dry, but his eyes are wet.

He hears noise from the living room, the tv on with the special Christmas episode of Lady Bug. Bokuto is attentively watching it sitting on the floor with the back against the edge of the sofa.

“Please, tell me I didn’t put a striptease show in front of my whole office”

His eyes pleading, Koutarou could have teased him a little, just as he knew Keiji would do, be he didn’t have it on him.

“No, almost, but no”

Akaashi sighs and lets his not so heavy anymore body fall in Koutarou’s lap, hiding his face on the crock of his neck. Attempting to hide himself from the world, as well, because there is not safest place.

“Thank you so much, my knight shinny in armour”

He feels an arm wrapping his hip and pulling him even closer. 

“That I am”

Bokuto rubs a hand against Akaashi’s belly with a smile adorning his face.

“How is our baby, has them kicked today?”

“What?”

“Oh, I just can’t wait for them to be born”

“Shut up, Bokuto-san”

“Don’t Bokuto-san me”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you a lot for reading if you got here!! :D
> 
> Kudos and comments are really motivational (just saying hehe).


	4. The nutcracker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi is the mouse kings and Bokuto is Clara, pirouttes and tears (not really).
> 
> Or: Akaashi and Bokuto go to watch the Nutcracker ballet play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE!!
> 
> I don't know what the limitations and restrictions for celebrations are in all your countries, but I hope you all have something tasty for dinner and a glimpse of fun. If everything seems dark here is bokuaka to make us all a little bit happier :D

**The nutcracker**

His grandfather had died before he was even born, nonetheless, he felt as if he had met him in person from all the multiple stories he grew up hearing.

His grandfather was a romantic, probably the most romantic man on earth.

One of the many thing he used to do was to take his grandmother to the theatre to watch the nutcracker play on every 24th of December. It was only performed that precise day of the year in the Kabuki Theatre.

So, as his grandfather was dead, he got to be his beloved grandmother date for the 24th when he was little. They would go to the ballet, and after, to have dinner at some fancy restaurant. He grew up cherishing and expecting those days like nothing else during Christmas.

His first year at Fukurodani was also the first without his grandmother, had she died a month prior of the beginning of the classes. A devastating event, it let his heart bleeding from the inside.

However, Keiji wanted to keep the tradition alive, and since neither of his parents were free to accompany him (or eager, for that matter), he went on his own.

He spent the whole act crying, even in the beautiful and warm parts, especially during those. By the end of it, he wasn’t sure if any tear was left in his body.

There were.

He, again, went through the whole dinner crying, especially when he realized there wasn’t anybody to share the appetizers with and he was painfully full after eating them all by himself. The dessert couldn’t be shared, either.

He didn’t cry anymore on his way home, a huge thunder in his throat was preventing him from it.

Then, walking by the park, he run into a sweaty Bokuto-san, who carried a volleyball in his hand and wore sportive clothes. The upperclass man was ecstatic about the causality and called it fate. He had been training alone and god if it was boring. He didn’t care Akaashi was all dressed up as he dragged him to the park.

The only thing left in Keiji was the suffocating thunder that prevented him from being able to say no or yes or whatever, so he went along.

At some point, between sweat and tiredness, the thunder escaped his throat making Tokyo population believe a big storm was coming in such a romantic day.

Bokuto hugged him for what it felt hours or days, as he moaned and cried cleaning the sweat of his face with tears. He probably drooled as well and babbled about his nanny.

The next year Bokuto and he weren’t dating.

The next year, also, for his birthday he got two tickets to the nutcracker for the 24th of December and a note promising an out dinner afterwards. 

That second time he went without his grandmother he didn’t cry the whole act, just in the happy parts. But at least that time there was a shoulder to cry on and another mouth to eat the appetizers.

He was elated the tradition was kept alive with someone as pure as his grandmother.

At the moment, Akaashi is glad about the tradition because he gets to see Koutarou in a suit at least once per year. Koutarou is always handsome, but it was so rare to see him all dressed up that the experience was really satisfying.

“Do you like what you see?”

Koutarou winks at him after he has been staring for a while. Basically, since the other let the towel drop to the floor.

“A lot”

“Well, there is a lot to like” He palms his own ass and Keiji debates between laughing, coughing or biting that ass. “I like what I see, too”

Akaashi leans his head to look at himself, nothing special.

“I wear a suit almost every week”

“Who says you need to wear anything special for me to like what I see” He gives him a kiss and a squeeze on the knee. “Let’s go before you start freaking out because we are going to be late”

He doesn’t wait for an answer, though, starts walking out of the room and not only due to Akaashi’s sense of punctuality.

“Koutarou” Akaashi isn’t idiot, thought, he knows exactly what his boyfriend is attempting.

“Yeah?” His head pops from the door, strategically not showing any other part of the body, but all Akaashi needs to do is raise an eyebrow to get his whole body, feet wearing Christmas socks included, back in the room. “But I’m already wearing a suit, ‘Kashii, I will die of boredom if not” He couldn’t sound more childish even if he trained, in that moment.

“Can’t you put on the brown owls ones?”

At least, those don’t yell red and green against the black trouser.

“Those aren’t Christmas themed”

Akaashi sighs as they leave the flat, in the end that is what love is about, isn’t it? Loving no matter what their ankles are showing to the world, even when his head was still beating him up from the hangover from the prior day.

As always, the sight of the Kabuki Theatre is stunning, it resembles to an old Japanese temple, red and gold dominating the aesthetics. For this time of the year it also has white and yellow lanterns hanging from it as the only Christmas decoration the place could admit. Akaashi has always been glad that they have kept to something more traditional, in the end Christmas trees and reindeers were something brought by the capitalism.

“I will never understand why popcorn or other snacks are prohibited”

As they sit a few sighs can be heard, whatever spectacle they go is always like that, people complaining about the fact that two men (or more if they go with friends) much above than the average height, are sitting in front of them blocking the views. But hey, it wasn’t their fault, they compensated it by letting people use that extra height in the supermarkets helping out to grab things from the top shelves.

“Is to not bother the other spectators with the noise and force you to put your whole attention into the act”

Akaashi is glad about that rule, he doesn’t want to hear the popcorn explosions in anybody’s mouth (and Bokuto is loud even with a closed mouth) whilst Clara has to fight the mouse king.

“I can focus perfectly fine while doing other things”

“You just did not say that”

Bokutos face turns into a pretty red. HE can barely manage to make one thing at a time.

“You know, you would make a good Clara” Akaashi says out of the blue.

Koutarou would definitely safe anybody that needed to be rescued, he would just jump into the moment without even realizing it.

“What’s tha…”

But before he can finish the sentence someone shush them as the lights go off.

He holds Keiji’s hand and has some Kleenex ready, he knows how a difficult moment is this one for his boyfriend, and he knows, also, there is not more that can be done. So he leaves his mind wonder if Keiji have meant that he would look good in a tutu or with blonde hair. Maybe is because he loves cheese, although in that case he would have said the mouse king and not Clara. Perhaps it has something to do with Christmas…

“Because you would make a good hero, now put attention and stop distracting me”

Has he thought out loud? He opens his mouth to ask but realizes that Clara is about to open her present and that is the inflexion point for Keiji, because he also once opened a Christmas present from his grandmother to find and old wooden nutcracker inside.

The hold tightens and he feels wetness in his hand as Keiji is using the entwined one to wipe his tears.

Koutarou smiles, is not like he wants to see him like this, but he kind of finds the scene endearing. Having had someone so special that even after more than a decade can still bring such feelings is something to be grateful.

Then he puts his attention into the act, it’s not like he only goes there because of Keiji, he actually likes it, after all is set in Christmas. Even if staying sit for two hours is quite the challenge.

“You know what?” Bokuto starts.

He hugs himself as the cold winter is thrown to them at the moment they set foot outside the theatre.

“You might think I would do a good Clara, but I’m a hundred percent sure you would be the perfect mouse king”

Keiji leans into him searching for warmness, so he passes an arm around his shoulders, not that he is going to be of so much help as his whole body feels frozen.

“Excuse me?” But he says it more amused than bothered.

“Yeah, he is grumpy and makes everybody else’s life miserable, he doesn’t even like Christmas!”

“Do I make your life miserable?” He raises an eyebrow.

“NO, NO, THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT” He starts nudging frenetically accompanied by his hands.

“Well, that is what I heard”

He debates internally between playing it a bit more or letting it go, but he is the mouse king, after all. This is only justice to the nickname.

“NO, KEIJI, YOU MAKE ME THE HAPPIEST, YOU KNOW THAT” Bokuto wants to start crying, he just told that horrible thing to his most beloved person.

“Do I?” 

YES, YES YOU DO”

He cups his face with both hands and starts giving him pecks, on the cheeks, on the forehead, the lips, the space between those and the nose.

“I love you, I love you so much and you make me that happy I wanna live next to you forever”

Akaashi can’t resist any longer and breaks into a smile and covers Koutarou’s hands with his.

“I know, Kou”

“Uh, you were teasing me right now, weren’t you?” He doesn’t need more answer than Keiji’s attempt to hide a smirk. “You really are the mouse king, I just might have to do a tag paper of it as well”

“I thought you loved me so much you wanna live next to me for the rest of your life”

Bokuto hums and inflates his cheeks turning his head to one side.

“Don’t be so sure anymore”

In the end, traditions need to evolve in order to keep it alive.

First it was his grandparents.

Second, his grandmother and his.

Now it belongs to the both of them.

And none of them are exactly as the prior, it shouldn’t.

That is why the night always ends on the park it began years ago, even if they don’t carry a volleyball or even if it’s sharply cold. A tradition is a tradition.

“Agaaaaashe!” The way his name it’s pronounced means nothing good. “If I’m Clara hold me!”

“Koutarou, no!”

His pleading goes with the wind as Bokuto is already running towards him and throws himself into him.

They land on hard soil. No, clarification, Akaashi lands on hard soil, Bokuto on the softness of his body.

“Keiji! You are so bony”

“Are you complaining just now?”

Bokuto stands up and takes Keiji with him, as if he weighted nothing, then shakes off the dirt of their clothes.

“Do a nice pirouette like the dancers, I’ll hold you”

He takes a few steps back and open his arms, ready to catch him.

“I don’t know how to do pirouettes, Koutarou, and neither do you”

Bokuto sighs and goes back to stand next to his boyfriend, always so pessimistic, even if he insist on calling himself realistic. The world is for those who try.

“Like this, just how Clara and the nutcracker did”

He rests a hand on Keiji’s hip and, kneeling just a few centimetres, the other hand moves to one of his legs.

“Raise this knee extended, and the moment I lift you, bend the other touching your other knee with your foot”

“Mmmmmmm” His lips purse, but luckily there is Bokuto to use his thumb and forefinger to force a smile.

“Just do it, Keiji”

He has his doubts, however, it seems simple enough, at least without risk of falling again. The moment he raises the leg his body follows. He swallows a gulp not wanting to give Koutarou the satisfaction of mocker him. His hands feel powerful under the touch, and he relaxes knowing that Koutarou has him. He wouldn’t let him fall for anything in the world.

“Now, make a circle with your arms above your head”

He complies and also gives him another little present so he starts to hum the nutcracker’s melody. He has watched it so many times he could whistle the whole act.

Koutarou beams at the sound and spins around, he would like to raise him above his head, however, he doesn’t want to risk invoking the Grinch wrath by making him fall again.

“Look Keiji, we are dancing!!”

“Yes, we are” He laughs content.

His grandmother would love to see him at this moment, she always said that he needed to loosen up a little.

_Well, look at me, nanny, I’m in love with Koutarou, how much of loosen up is that?_

“Kou, I’m so thankful” He pulls back enough so he can meet his face.

“That I have strong arms?”

A tender smile covers Keiji’s face as he caress the side of his head.

“Yes, for exactly that”

And a million of other reasons that can be summarized in two words: Bokuto Koutarou.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is the shortest of all the special, but I didn't feel like adding anything else.
> 
> Thank you for reading if you made it this far!! and kudos and comments are always (super) appeciated.


	5. Christmas day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!!
> 
> For this chapter let's just all pretend that today is Saturday and not Friday, I needed to make it the weekend 'cause it's not a holiday in Japan :P

Bokuto is an early bird.

Owls are supposed to be nocturnal and sleep through the day, however, Bokuto always wakes up early, no alarm need it, and this Saturday of Christmas hasn’t been an exception.

Even if last night they barely made it to bed, after snoozing off on the sofa, but it was too cold to spend the night and he carried Keiji to snuggle on bed.

It’s Christmas day and he is so glad this year got to be on their day off. He is so excited about the lazy day they have planned that he has even dreamt about it.

So he has woken up even earlier than usual and decided to put his extra time in use by taking photos of his sleeping boyfriend.

Keiji is always so composed, not letting emotions affect his deadpan and never losing his cool, it is rare to see him with his face so relaxed that the jaw is hanging and a line of drool lost in the pillow.

He took a few panoramic shots of his whole body, he almost dared to take off the comforter knowing that under it he was naked, however, he also knew if he happened to wake him up it wouldn’t be the Grinch opening the eyes, but more a brunette version of Dolores Umbridge.

Scary.

Maybe he would ask him later to pose naked for him.

For the moment, he took a few more shots of the open drooled mouth, of the whole face, and last but not least, some selfies together, kissing and imitating him and making funny faces.

Now, after four hours of being awake, he just can’t wait any longer.

Firstly, due to his starving stomach and the desire to not have breakfast without Keiji, and before eating he wanted to cuddle and snuggle, that being the second reason to his impatient, so preparing breakfast and serving it in bed wasn’t an option.

Maybe Keiji was the real owl.

What he does instead is start tracing a path from the forehead to the jaw his a single finger, his nose wrinkles as an answer, but nothing else happens. So he adds two more fingers and, instead of the fingertips, he uses the nails for a more ticklish version.

“Mmmmmmm?”

That is a more likely answer, although he still hasn’t open his eyes and that’s precisely why he moves his hand to the back of his head and starts massaging it.

And there they are, his favourite eyes in the world opening up for him, half open, half lazy.

Akaashi was seeing the whole world blurry.

“Good morning, my beautiful sunshine”

That earns him a look before Keiji drops his head into the pillow and bring both arms under it.

“Came on, don’t be grumpy, it’s Christmas time!”

Keiji growls and he is about to nudge him out of bed, but Bokuto knows better than to do that. After all, he is sleeping with the Grinch.

“What time is it?”

He starts to caress his back under the covers, from the nape to where it ends, warm and soft, he would starve to stay there forever.

“Almost eleven”

Akaashi hums and then moans due to the touch.

“I guess I can’t be mad, then”

Bokuto moves up his hand trying to brush the messy curls and starts giving some pecks on his neck, to finally rest his lips on his ear.

“No, you can’t. Now…” The hand goes all the way down until reaching his butt and squeeze it. “Get this cutie out of bed and let’s have breakfast”

Bokuto is already dressed, so when he gets out of their sheet nest he grabs a pair of soft pants and a hoody and throws it all to Keiji.

“Really, Koutarou?”

He asks after seeing which specifically upper clothe has been thrown at him.

“What? If we happen to have matching Christmas sweaters it’s not my fault” The owls’ sweaters are back. “It would be a waste not to use them”

Akaashi laughs and puts it on, he is feeling generous, it’s Christmas after all.

They make French toasts with honey and chocolate on top, because is fast, easy and tasty, the more elaborated dishes will come later. So they sit at the American bar with a plate full of French toasts and a glass of mimosa.

“Aren’t you going to feed me, Kou?”

“Do you want that?” He raises an eyebrow.

“I don’t know, isn’t it Christmas?” He plays with the chocolate in his fork, is weird to not eat with chopsticks.

“Shut up, smartass. I might do it if you start getting sassy” He threats him pointing at him with his fork.

“C’mon, Kou, say oooooowl”

Keiji just helicoptery bring a piece of toast to his mouth to tease him, he is well aware of that, however, complains are not on the table. He can feed him as much as he wants.

“Well done, my baby is so grown up already” He pinches his cheek. “Stop growing up so fast or I’ll cry”

“You didn’t say the same yesterday night”

Akaashi takes a gulp of mimosa, smiling inside the glass.

“Yesterday night? Mmmmm, was it with you?” He brings his finger to tap his jaw, faking to think.

“KEIJIIII”

Then he brings another piece into Bokuto’s mouth, just to change direction in the last second and eating it himself.

“KEIJIIII”

This day was going to be so much fun.

Keiji is eager to give Koutarou his present.

He is not normally one to put too much emotion into that, however, this year is _the_ year.

Koutarou is a really easy person in terms of making him presents, just the mere action enlightens him. It doesn’t matter the object, either if it’s a pair of black boring socks or tickets for the Olympics final, he will be happy because someone has thought about him.

Knowing that, Keiji always puts a lot of effort into finding something good, he wanted Koutarou to be happy because he got a _great_ present and not just because he _got_ a present.

And every year it’s a success, but in this one, he has surpassed himself.

“Who goes first?” Bokuto asks and Akaashi thinks that probably he should open it first, since Koutarou would lose track of the moment after opening his. “Uuuuh, I’m so nervous, Keiji, I think I’ve done well this year”

“You always do well”

It’s difficult not to when he makes a well detailed list.

He extends his arms to receive the present, which is inside of a matrioshka box.

“Ou”

He finally says when he gets to the object, is the pair of glasses he window shopped a few weeks ago. He didn’t have any intention on buying new ones, neither he needed them, but they fast cached his eyes while passing by the shop one day along with Koutarou. He thought about buying them but dismissed the idea, it was more a whim than anything else.

Those weren’t on the list, though.

“Have I done good?”

Koutarou was waiting for his answer with puppy eyes.

However, he really didn’t need it, Keiji was smiling, more than that, Keiji’s eyes were smiling.

His favourite thing in the world.

“Thank you so much, baby”

Koutarou leans his head to receive his kiss, and after, his present, which is wrapped in iridescent paper.

What he first sees is a t-shirt, something that makes his raise an eyebrow, is not the usual gift Keiji goes for, at least not for Christmas.

Maybe is a matching t-shirt!

But no.

It’s not a matching t-shirt.

It’s better.

Way _way_ better.

It’s the Brazilian Giba’s t-shirt, signed and dedicated to Bokuto.

“ _Train hard, spike harder_ ” could be read in bright gold.

Giba.

Gilberto Godoy Filho.

Number 7 of the Brazilian volleyball team.

His favourite player as a kid.

The one who inspired his spikes.

 _The one_ that made him want to be a wing spiker.

And now he had his dedicated t-shirt in his hands.

His hands were touching something Giba had touched.

What if he had _actually_ wore it?

“Koutarou, are you okay?”

He had expected him to be over existed, jump, yell, hug him to death, but the only thing that seemed to be happening is Koutarou passing out.

“No, I think I need to lay down”

Akaashi helps him to lay on the coach. Bokuto brings one arm to cover his head while using the other to hug the t-shirt against his chest.

So dramatic.

He takes a few breathes.

In. Out. In. Out.

Keiji grabs the arm that is covering his face and places it next to his body, then starts putting strands of hair out of his forehead. Bokuto finally brings himself to open the eyes and look at his boyfriend.

“How? Where? When?”

Keiji’s chest vibrates pressed against his shoulder.

“A magician never reveals his tricks”

“Keijiii, you are going to be the death of me one day” Koutarou’s eyes are reflexing the sun almost blinding Akaashi. “How I got so lucky to have you in my life?”

He raises his hand to cup Keiji’s face, who leans into the touch smiling.

“It is, by far, the best present anyone has ever made me. Thank you, baby”

But the way he is looking at him it might give the impression as if he already was seeing his best present.

Drama number two: to wear or to not wear the t-shirt.

He wanted to put it through his head so badly, because what if Gabi had worn it. That question wouldn’t go away.

But he was about to cook.

What if he got it dirty, he wouldn’t forgive himself for that.

“Just put the one you are using above it, so you know you are wearing it but it will be safe from your clumsiness”

“Oh, that’s a great idea!” He starts taking off his hoody and t-shirt. “Wait. KEIJIII! I’m not clumsy, I’m the ace of my team and the former ace of _your_ former team”

He takes a moment to deeply breathe when he has it on, then takes a selfie with it, then another with Keiji, too. He is just so going to send it to everybody within his contact list, whether they spoke or not.

“Can we start now?

Keiji has asked it with sarcasm, but he decides to let it slip away.

And they get into work.

First the cake, because it is the most elaborated and it also needs time to set and cool down.

Of course it couldn’t be any other than the Kurisumasu Keki, it’s not a difficult recipe but it is a long one, even longer when Bokuto decides to use the wipe cream as paint, Keiji’s face as canvas, and his own tongue as eraser.

He draws a moustache and makes fun about how Keiji’s baby face still doesn’t have a single trace of shave. And Keiji is so in the mood today he even allows him to take some photos.

When the cake is cooling down in the fridge they make the decorations, cutting the edge of some strawberries, putting some cream and two pieces of chocolate simulating eyes, then using the edge as a hat. The result is little edible Santa Klaus.

As a last time thing, they also do butter biscuits, making it into a contest about who can shape them cuter.

And finally they cooked they typical fried chicken, extra crispy.

“I don’t think it’s your time to pick up the movie, you choose the last one”

They settle the plates on the table in front of the sofa and the television.

“But it’s Christmas!” Bokuto half yells pouting.

They sit on the floor, though, is easier to reach the food that way.

“What’s that supposed to mean? It’s Christmas for me, too”

Koutarou makes another pout and Keiji decides to let him have it his way, because he is sure Koutarou wouldn’t appreciate his choice, _The Grinch_.

Would have been hilarious, though.

They end up watching Home Alone, Koutarou knows the dialogues by heart and he sure recites them between bite and bite, so Keiji keeps shoving food into his plate to shut him up as much as possible.

“It would have been the coolest to live an experience like that”

“You would have spent the whole film crying, or gotten killed the first five minutes”

A piece of chicken drops from Bokuto’s mouth.

“You are so mean, Keiji” Had they a dog, he wouldn’t need to pick up the fallen food. “The day we are robbed I’m not protecting you”

“Because you will die of fear at the first sound?” He goes for the cake, the fried chicken it’s not a big deal for him, but the cake is his favourite thing about Christmas.

“You are the worst and you have cream in your nose” He is about to add something else but gets distracted by his phone. “Oh, look, Kuroo says your cookies are cuter. Mmmmm, he sure is saying that to tease me, there is _no_ way your _is it a heart or is it an ass_ cookie can upbeat my dogs and cats. Uuuuh, my sister also says yours, why do people hate me?”

Akaashi chuckles under his breath, Bokuto is so easy and funny to tease that everybody takes a peck of it.

“A defeat is a defeat, whether you accept it or not”

By the end of the day, Akaashi was drifting off on the sofa, when suddenly, his warm boyfriend blanket leaves him to die in the cold.

“Kou?” He asks scanning the room with heavy eyelids.

There is no need for a second question, a soft music fills the apartment and soon Koutarou is standing in front of him with an extended arm and lips curled in an adoring smile.

 _This is Christmas_ , by Celine Dion.

Keiji glazes at him interrogatively and gets a soft smile in return.

He wraps the hand and is pulled up and dragged next to the tree.

And then they dance. It’s just a mere swinging without barely moving from their spot, spinning around themselves in a slow rhythm.

Limps tangled, no space in between then for the air, cheek against cheek.

Because this is Christmas.

Because they are so in love with each other.

“I would still love you, even if you were worse than the Grinch”

Akaashi kisses him wondering if he should say thank you or get offended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it this far let me thank you for reading!!!
> 
> comments and kudos are always apreciatted :D (guink guink)


	6. Disney day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi and Bokuto spend their day at disney.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello little owls!  
> Christmas is officially over, buuuut not for bokuaka (I mean, Bokuto wouldn't allow it haha).
> 
> When I planned the chapters promps I thought this one was going to be my favorite, since I love the Disney park. It turns out that is my least favourite of all -.-'  
> I still hope you enjoy it tho!

Bokuto is existed.

But when is he not?

Today he is a little bit more than usual though, as they are visiting Disney’s Park and the thought has him over heels.

Not only he has waking him up _early,_ but has been rushing him ever since.

Pee faster, eat faster, dress faster, brush your teeth faster… Akaashi wondered how his eyes haven’t go permanently blank after rolling them so many times in such a short time.

The thought of breaking up with him was really into consideration. Getting over his boyfriend seemed more feasible than endure the situation.

“Finally!”

Koutarou exclaims in Akaashi’s ear when he is locking their door, which earns him a look.

“What? You sure took your time” he wouldn’t meet his eyes, trying to play innocent.

“I might be considering staying home today” A part of him does for real.

“We’ve already got the tickets, you can’t”

He pocks both tickets into his face to prove it. They could have just used the electronic ones, but Koutarou argued those took the whole experience out and couldn’t be kept for the memories.

“Give me those, I’ll keep them safe”

He snatches from his hands without any warning.

“I can do that just fine”

Although, truth be told, he was planning on asking him that same thing for further safety. Akaashi looks at him with that soar expression that seemed as if he had just licked a lemon.

“I will buy you lots of onigiris?” Is Bokuto’s way of saying: don’t be mad, pretty please.

Akaashi sighs and grabs his hand to pull him and start heading out of the building.

“Let’s go”

Bokuto nods frenetically, reminding a broken robot.

“And please, zip up your coat”

He does it reluctantly, only because he doesn’t want to risk Keiji going inside of their house to never go out. He is wearing his Christmas present for the very first time, it needs to be shown, however, the coat is preventing it what makes his heart ache. He is also wearing Mickey Mouse ears.

The train journey is a rumbling talk from Bokuto enumerating all the attractions he is going to get in and the rest of things they are going to do.

Akaashi, on the other hand, just rests his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder and half him listens half not, while internally thanks for having cached free sits.

When they finally get there Bokuto is almost flying instead of walking, anyone would say that this is his first time visiting the park and not the millionth. So, Akaashi drags him to one less crowded side and gives him his scarf folded into a ball.

“Use this to yell and calm down, please” It’s something Bokuto had to do sometimes, when the rush of adrenaline in his veins wouldn’t allow him to think.

Bokuto nods and does as commanded, he screams one, two and three times, empting all the air his lungs have and trying to get rid of the extra emotion he is feeling.

“Better?” He asks as Bokuto retunes the scarf by wrapping it around his neck himself.

“Yes, thank you”

The bright and beaming smile, but this time normal, is back.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t take much for the over excitement to be back, just when they glimpse the decorated entrance and the various people staff wearing fluffy customs, all the extra emotions are possessing his body again.

“Oh, look! That is Daisy, oh and Pluto wearing Rudolph’s nose and horns! Let’s take a photo with him!” He pulls Akaashi by the sleeve of the coat not giving him much of a choice.

“Sure”

Usually the inside is vibrant, after all this is Disney, nevertheless, with all the Christmas decorations and lights it’s something else, a hell on earth for someone suffering from epilepsy. Everywhere screams jump until you take off and are able to fly.

They start the tour in the Bazzar World area, which is set in a twentieth style American street, basically is the commercial zone, full of shops and restaurants. The buildings are mostly in various tones of green and red, there are also little old streetlights matching the colours. On the outside of the shops there are people standing in red maids’ uniforms greeting and smiling to every passerby.

Akaashi hopes they are well paid for putting up to that, in this cold no less.

“Let’s buy some decorations for our tree”

He tries to drag Akaashi by the coat again, however, he doesn’t succeed and is stopped before they can even make two steps.

“Later, we shouldn’t waste sunlight time”

“Oh, right, right. OH, KEIJI, KEIJI! There!”

That time Akaashi couldn’t prevent himself from being dragged to the square, the real beginning point, where everybody took the photos. Of course this time pf the year there is a Christmas tree in the middle, not that big one would imagine talking about Disney, but it had to be that size to not block the most important image of the square, the background view of the Castle.

They take a couple of photos there.

And then…

“They are not here!” Bokuto yells with the heart in his throat while touching his head, his eyes reflect a sudden panicked.

“What is not here?”

“My Mickey Mouse ears, Keiji, they are not in my head!”

It’s true are now free and rebellious no longer under the control of the plastic ears. Bokuto starts spinning nervously around Akaashi, trying to calm himself.

“How didn’t you notice, Keiji? They were here and then in one moment they were gone. You should have notice” He touches his head still not believing they are gone.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention” And it’s the truth, he was looking around not at his boyfriend’s head.

Bokuto whines still making circles.

“I lost them, we need to look for them. Or maybe someone took them from me!”

Akaashi sighs and grabs him by the forearm forcing him to stop, before any of them gets sick with that many labs.

“We can go buy another ones, we are at Disney, aren’t we?”

Bokuto, suddenly much calmer, nodded with energy. It was true, they were surrounded by shops that sold them.

Some minutes later the both of them were walking back to the scare with a pair of ears each, because old setter let his boyfriend convince him to buy matching ones.

Well, his boyfriend and his homeless kitty pouting face.

They set foot into Mickey’s toontwon, the themed land inspired by the film of the same name. The architecture of the houses is really cute, they are not quite straight, more like if a big bubble were distorting them, and at the outside of almost each, there are little Christmas trees.

Bokuto keeps pointing at everything while holding Akaashi’s hand. 

That area is too childish, nonetheless, the thing about Bokuto is that he enjoys everything no matter what and has the capacity of spreading the feeling as a very contagious virus.

“I’m blissful we get to see Mickey’s house during Christmas” After saying that he looks at his boyfriend. “Have I used blissful right?”

“Yes, you have” He smiles, Bokuto is getting good with words lately.

That there was going to be Christmas decorations it’s an obvious thing, but it’s too much is giving Akaashi indigestion, everywhere he looks at there is a little something. If not Santa’s hat hanging from a streetlight, is peppermint sticks stack into the outside of the bins. He really feels sorry for the staff who goes through this hell for days.

A fluffy Donald approaches them, Akaashi is already walking away, but Bokuto is faster in grabbing his elbow.

“Hello, dear friends! Quack, quack, quack” He comes balancing in his two… fit-feet? “What do we have here? Two duck-friends having fun?”

Aren’t there kids around to annoy?

“Yes! Well, no! We are duck-boyfriends, but we are, indeed, enjoying ourselves!” Bokuto hugs Akaashi from the side to show Donald how much in love they are.

Some are enjoying more than others, though.

“That’s quack, quack quantastic!” It claps and Akaashi wishes he could do it, too, but in his face. “Don’t forget to try our candied apples, they are sweet and hot, perfect for a cold day like today. You can even buy them with my quack face”

Of course they weren’t going to…

“Sure we will do that!”

Has it approached them because the child in Bokuto is notorious from the distance? 

Then, Donald goes to hunt its next victim yelling quack, quack, quack.

“You know, Koutarou, once you retire from volley you can try luck here”

Bokuto looks at him with a blunt expression for a few seconds.

“I know you said it as teasing but I will take it as a compliment, I would do a great mascot”

Keiji chuckles under his breath and hugs him, then presses a sappy kiss in his Adam’s apple. The only apple he is hungry for in that moment.

“If you are so eager for costumes” He whispers in his ear giving him shivers. “I have a few ideas in mind”

Bokuto swallows hard.

“And, weren’t we surrounded by people, I would be making you yell quack, quack, quack, too”

Bokuto swallows even harder, trying to make his blood stop circulating so fast.

“Keiji, please”

Suddenly, the air is much warmer than it should be in December.

“Please, what? Is it a plead?”

From that point of view people can’t see how Akaashi’s hand is getting under Bokuto’s coat, however, he sure can feel it.

“Yes. No! NO!”

Grabs his hand from under the coat and also takes the other, just in case. Akaashi has the nerves to laugh.

“You really don’t know how much I love you, Kou”

If his blood wasn’t boiling already, it is now.

“You can show it to me when we get home” He says crossing his arms and cursing having forgotten the Grinch tag at home.

“I’m going to show it to you just know”

Akaashi starts pulling him by the hand to make him walk. 

“Wha… What? Are you taking me to the restroom?”

“No, I’m taking you to buy a candied apple with Donald little faces”

They skip Critter Country due to that splash mountain, his main and mainly only attraction is closed during winter season. Fact that has Bokuto complaining for minutes, long minutes, luckily the action of liking the apple absorbers some of it.

“If cowards can’t handle it it’s not the rest of the world fault”

Thank god it is closed.

When they are waiting for their turn to enter in the Haunted Mansion, Bokuto throws an arm around Akaashi’s shoulders and leans a little (more than necessary since they are only four centimetres apart, actually) wearing a smirk on his face.

“No need to be afraid, my Keiji, I will protect you” And puffs his chest with the other free hand.

“How lucky I am”

If this was a real haunted anything, he would be concerned for Bokuto’s sleep after, especially given that he wasn’t capable of having troubles falling asleep and not waking up the rest of the world. As this one is made for kids they are safe, he supposes.

The mansion is cool, though, at least on the outside, it totally gives the spooky vibe with its old appearance and the fake cemetery on the side.

When they are on the inside elevator, waiting to be transported at wagons, and some faces start to appear on the walls, Bokuto throws his arm again around his shoulders. This time the arm is shaking a bit and the smirk is nowhere to be seen.

“Don’t worry, my Kou, I will protect you” He whispers, there is no need for the whole elevator to laugh at his boyfriend, even if he _is_ making fun.

“How lucky I am” Not a trace of sarcasm accompanies the words.

Finally, they get to their favourite, the space mountain.

A ride through planets, and stars, and meteorites and darkness.

Not for short kids, not for pregnant women, not for cowards, not for criers.

Both Akaashi and Bokuto love heavy attractions and this is the nearest to that, plus the cool background.

They don’t even hold onto the security bar. Some people yell from behind. Bokuto grabs one of Keiji’s raised arms.

“MERRYYYYYYY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL”

“Bokuto!”

But he doesn’t have it in him so he laughs and the sound comes distorted due to the speed.

“I’M IN LOVE WITH AKAASHI KEIJI”

And this time.

“I LOVE HIM TOO”

The moment they get down their heads are still spinning, but Bokuto’s heart is even dizzier.

“Keiji!!”

He holds him up and starts spinning around. Bad idea since his equilibrium hadn’t recovered yet.

Result: having ground for lunch. 

Probably, though, what they enjoy most is their last piece of Disney. It’s already dark, not a glimpse of light on the sky can get though the clouds and the negritude, the Christmas decorations are on, making the streets sparkle in colours, and everybody is standing somewhere near the castle.

Different songs have been playing, some classics and some Disney carol modification.

Various characters have danced, and Minnie and Mickey have thrown confetti to the ones nearer.

Keiji and Koutarou are holding hands, body sides pressed against each other, although Keiji moves to the front to be wrapped by both of Koutarou’s arm. Waiting like everybody else.

And then, it starts.

It is heard before seen, a deep roar breaking the peacefulness of the air.

First people shuts and then everybody roars along.

The dark sky is now illuminated by blue, purple, green, yellow. By a huge Mickey’s head. By a white _Merry Christmas_.

It keeps making noises as popcorns jumping in the microwave, whilst more draws appear.

It’s a nice image, and Keiji’s back is warm, and Koutarou’s chest is full. And there is a moment when he isn’t looking and has his face hidden in the crook of Keiji’s neck because he is feeling too much and needs to take a rest from the world.

They are at Disney in Christmas, Keiji has yelled that he loves him and the dark sky is full of colours.

He can die now.

“Let’s go home?” He asks turning his face once the spectacle ends.

“Yes, let’s go home” Even though, he might already be there.

He never wants to die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!  
> Next chapter is one of my favourites because I really had fun writing it, I'm just going to say that is karaoke night and Oikawa is involved.


	7. DIY Karaoke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!
> 
> I don't know if this is my favourite chapter or not, but I like it a lot because all the fun I had writing it!  
> There are songs involved so I linked the youtube video of each, however it's not necessary to listen to them, it's only for the rhythm.

Oiwaka has found something incredible, the greatest thing after the invention of volleyball, or so he says.

Akaashi doesn’t trust him so much, because whenever he does the discovery of the century, it’s amazing for the crazy ones, but a nightmare for the quiets (like himself). He just hopes Iwaizumi has been able to keep him at bay this time.

He does trusts Iwaizumi, even if sometimes he is little bit too violent, although dating Oikawa he can understand.

He just hopes is in a quiet place, he has had a long and stressful day at his job, even starting it earlier than usual. Adding being tired and cold from yesterday at the park. It definitely had been a real pain to go through the whole day.

If there is a Santa out there, he wishes for a quiet and peaceful evening.

“Oikawa always comes up with the best plans, I’m really looking forward to this” He balances their hands back and forward while walking.

Of course he is, because he is part of the crazy group.

“Besides from the day he planned to prank our coach, that was a horrible idea and even a more horrible day”

It still gives him Goosebumps the thought of the many laps he had to run as punishment.

“Oh! Look, Keiji!”

He halts making Akaashi collide against his shoulder and then points somewhere a couple of metres in front, where a girl is kneeling on the ground, and standing is who most certainly is her boyfriend with the mouth covered by both hands.

“It’s the fifth proposal we have witnessed this week, you shouldn’t sound surprised”

Bokuto is making little jumps and claps, he goes over heels every time he sees a big romantic public demonstration. 

Then, out of the blue in between the claps, he props something white from his coat pocket.

“Here, the Grinch tag is back, I have even drawn and coloured his face to make it more visual”

Had he brought the paper with him?

“That wasn’t related to Christmas!” Akaashi frowns.

“Of course it is, is the Christmas spirit working, but of course the Grinch wouldn’t know about it” He interlaces their fingers to continue the march. “One day I’m going to propose to you, too and then you won’t be rolling your eyes with sarcasm”

Akaashi’s heart skips a beat, Bokuto tends to say those kind of things like if they were nothing.

“Don’t hold your breath on that” And then. “Please, refrain yourself from doing it on Christmas time”

“I’m doing it whenever I want to and you won’t get to say no!”

When they reach the meeting point Akaashi wants to kill himself, and then Oikawa, probably better the other way around. Maybe if he does a getaway nobody would notice and suit him for murder.

Is it a peaceful night too much to ask?

From Oikawa, yes.

On the other hand, Bokuto is jumping in joy, to nobody’s surprise.

“Oikawa just surpassed himself!”

He says looking hypnotized at the luminous poster.

“It’s only a Karaoke, Koutarou, nothing original”

But yes something laud and noisy.

“Ts, ts, ts, not quite my dear… Grinch? “ Oikawa, who appears out of nowhere from their backs followed by Iwaizumi, raises an eyebrow at the sight of the paper, even though that doesn’t keep him from continuing whatever he was saying. “You would like to know that this here isn’t not _just_ a karaoke, it is _the_ karaoke”

From behind, Iwaizumi bows his head a bit, apologizing.

“That doesn’t make any sense”

“It will, don’t worry, I’ll explain once Tetsu-chan and Kenma are here” He smiles as if he was holding a state secret. “Now, now, my dear Bo-chan, come to give me a Christmas hug”

Bokuto crush hugs him as if they hadn’t been training together two hours ago.

“What is with the Grinch caption?”

He rolls his eyes for an answer, a twice for emphasis, one in each direction, and Iwaizumi laughs because he doesn’t need more to understand.

A few later the six of them are sitting on a red leather sofa, in a private space with a big screen and a little stage. The space is decorated as a cheap shop would look, nothing matches, there are all the colours existing, and a reindeer holding a cup of sake with the tongue poking out of the mouth. It screams obscenity and nobody would be surprise if it happened that Oikawa has brought them to a brothel karaoke.

A person from the staff comes in with a tray full of “Christmas” beverages, there is nothing special about them (apart from the green radioactive colour) and Akaashi hopes there’s neither alcohol.

There is not, they taste like cinnamon and peppermint.

“Are you planning on telling us about the surprise anytime soon or not?

Kuroo asks, although it could have been anybody, less Kenma, who is entertaining himself with his Nintendo.

“Yes, yes, listen carefully” He bends as to make himself look interesting (he really doesn’t seem it). “By now, all of you have realized we are in a karaoke” That much was obvious and he is well aware of his pointless fact. “But it’s not a regular one, it is more. The other day while I was…”

“To the point, trasshykawa!”

“Mean, Iwa-chan” He pouts. “Anyway, is a _do it yourself_ karaoke, it consist on choosing a song and change its lyrics to make it funnier or sadder or whatever. Is a karaoke to free our imagination and creativity”

Bokuto beams.

Akaashi is not sure whether he likes it or not.

Kuroo smirks, already plotting.

Kenma doesn’t even care.

Oikawa looks as if he had discovered the cure for cancer.

Iwaizumi is just minding his drink.

“That is actually cool, Oikawa. I came here expecting cobber and I’ve found gold”

“Not quite sure if that’s mean or nice, Tetsu-chan”

A different staff person from before comes in, she is wearing an elf hat that tinkles every time it moves, and explains them how the system works and threads them to kick them out if anyone gets naked. Bokuto looks at Akaashi with a raised eyebrow, gesture that doesn’t go unseen by Kuroo.

“Any dirty show you’d like to share, lovebirds?”

Akaashi ignores him, not even bothering on giving him a look.

“I swear for the Lord of the aliens, if for any of your stupidities I’m deprived of this night I will cut your hairs”

Oikawa threads as if he wasn’t the first in misbehave and make himself a spectacle.

“Now, I want everybody to go through the records and pick up a song while food is served to us”

All the foot is set up in a high table, there are different kinds of sushi, along with chips, a bowl filled with kaki no tane chocobananos and dangos. It is set with the idea of “serve yourselves whenever you want”.

Bokuto is clinging into Akaashi trying to read his chosen song.

“I just wanna know which one it is, not asking for the modifications”

Akaashi nudges him in an attempt to make him go away.

“Wait like the rest”

“Okay, but remember you already have the Grinch, it better be a cheerful one”

Sticks out his tongue and goes to grab a dango, after that rejection he needs something sweet.

“Come here, baby” Kuroo opens his arms with a smirk. “Kubro will give you the sweet sweet love you deserve”

Bokuto runs towards him making them fall all over the sofa.

“There, there” Kuroo pats his head and then starts brushing his spikes. “I must say this Bo, your hair product is amazing, it really gives it the touch keeping the softness”

Akaashi clears his throat from the other side of the room, Kuroo moves his hand as blowing his worries away.

“Right? Founding this new brand was a life changer” He touches his spikes, before they will be practically flat by the half of the day, now they last until he showers.

“Let’s hope they don’t stop producing it, then”

“WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?”

He gets on his feet with a single jump, he has never thought of that, what if it happens?

Akaashi shakes his head to Kuroo and talks without sound telling him to stop. Not this soon, he doesn’t want to deal with a moping Bokuto for so much time.

“ARE YOU ALL READY? ‘CAUSE SURE I AM” Oikawa, paper in hand, jumps and positions himself in the middle of the scenario then grabs a microphone and that, perhaps, is the worst thing that can happen to them. “SO, AS THIS WAS MY IDEA, I’M THE ICE-BREAKER”

He rummages on the laptop and suddenly three lights are focusing him, then the accords of “have yourself a little merry Christmas” start playing.

“Goodnight, gentleman and kids” For the last he points at Kuroo and Bokuto. “In this Christmas wonderful day I present you a song I caption as _have yourself a little volleyball Christmas_ ”

Bokuto yells, that is genius.

“From my heart, I hope you enjoy it”

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnEqv8WcVq8>

Have yourself a merry volleyball Christmas  
Let your ball fly high  
From now on  
Your tosses will be out of sight.

He mimics the toss movement with so much grace.

Have yourself a merry volleyball Christmas  
Make the court gay  
From now on  
Your serves will be point breakers

He does the serving using a cushion as ball and directs it to Kuroo, the object find its way back to him.

Here we are as in olden days  
Happy golden days of volley  
Faithful friends who I played with  
They gather near to us once more

Oikawa puts both his hands together shaping a heart and moves them across the room, then starts blowing kisses from the centre of the heart.

Through the years  
We'll always be and play together  
If the volley allows  
Hang a shining ball upon the highest player

He takes a big breathe looking up as the music stops and then bows his head.

“AMAZING, YOU HAVE BEEN AMAZING” Bokuto applause with all his strength.

“Thank you, thank you so much my most beloved fans, you are my only reason to keep going” He wipes fake tears from his eyes while covering his fake shaking lips with the other hand.

“Cut the show trasshykawa”

Next to go is Kuroo, and it can be read miles away by his grind that this is not going to be fun for somebody, most certainly Oikawa or Bokuto, Akaashi puts his money on the last.

“This is a song dedicated to my best bro, here present” He points the spiker with a finger, making him sit still with pride. “Wing spiker, ace of his team, Bokuto Koutarou! Some say he is the sun, others that he is an owl, but what I say is, isn’t he the cutest reindeer of all?”

And then:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hega-GxyW6o>

You know Akaashi and Oikawa and Iwaizumi and Kenma   
and Kuroo  
But do you recall  
The most famous volleyball player of all?

He blows a kiss with a wink included to Bokuto, who takes it and brings it to his heart.

Bokuto the nest bird hair player   
Had a very spiky hair  
And if you ever saw it  
You would even say it sharps

A cherish howl echoes through the walls.

Kuroo takes a moment to move his hips in circles.

All of the other players  
Used to laugh and call him names  
They never let poor Bokuto  
Join in any volleyball games

Bokuto makes a big O with his mouth and then crosses his arms pretending to mope. He is good, but of course, he has had years of practise.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve  
Santa came to say  
"Bokuto, with your hair so sharp  
Won't you roast my marshmallows tonight?"

They guess more than really understand the last sentence since it comes out on a laugh.

Then how the player loved him  
As they shouted out with glee  
" Bokuto the nest bird hair player  
You'll go down in historyyyyyyy"

Poor Bokuto the nest bird hair player launches himself to hug Kuroo.

“KUBRO!!”

“BROKUTO!”

“This is the best thing anyone has ever done to me” He keeps pretending he is crying and hugging Kuroo. “I want it as a ringtone”

Akaashi begs to all Gods, Dumbledore and Yoda, for preventing them from recording it. Kuroo is as good as a singer as a Furby would be.

“Was it better than mine?” Oikawa asks in a half breath.

When is Akaashi’s turn he gets on stage wearing a smile and that is how Bokuto knows it’s not going to be anything good, not in terms of quality, but of behaviour.

“This is in the name of this green guy here” he taps the Grinch paper.

“KEIJI, NO!” He tries to stand up but is stopped by Oikawa, forcing him to stay on the couch.

Iwaizumi’s eyes glow like they haven’t in the whole night.

“it’s called _Black Christmas_ ”

Another howl, this time resembling a several wounded animal, which soon gets lost in between the ~~White~~ Dark Christmas accords.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30TkClWvT5k>

I'm dreaming of a black Christmas  
Just like the ones I used to fear  
Where the tree tops bleeds  
And children scream  
To hear drums of war in the snow, the snow

Even Kenma forgets his game to put his whole attention into the song, Bokuto, meanwhile, is kneeling dejected on the floor murmuring the word “atrocious” nonstop.

Said, I'm dreaming of a black Christmas  
With every Christmas card I write  
May your days, may your days, may your days  
Be dreadful and dark  
And may all your Christmas' be black

He smiles at the end, just like the Grinch does.

“THAT TAG IS NEVER, NEVER LEAVING YOUR FOREHEAD. YOU LISTEN, KEIJI? NE-VER”

Oh, he will be singing it for his boyfriend for the rest of the year. This is the one that deserves to be recorded as ring tone.

Bokuto stands slowly, resembling an old man, carrying the dark Christmas on his shoulders like a burden. After a loud sigh takes position on the strand.

“Now is my turn and duty to fix this”

He locks his eyes into Keiji’s and he intends to keep them for the whole song, even if he doesn’t deserve it. 

<https://youtu.be/Oswkllz_Lvs>

Hang all the mistletoe  
I'm gonna get to kiss you better this Christmas  
And as we trim the tree  
How much sex we’re gonna have together this Christmas.

A bunch of laugh burst in the room, Akaashi is not the owner of any.

The bed and the coach and the floor are blazingly hot, wow  
We're moaning and growling through the night, wow  
This Christmas will be a very horny Christmas for me, wow  
Let's make love, baby

Koutarou keeps looking at him with a deep glaze.

He doesn’t know if he feels embarrassed or turned on, but his ears are burning, so is his stomach.

Lube and condoms are here  
My world is filled with love and you and your cock this Christmas  
And as I look around  
Your eyes outshine the town, they do this Christmas

The bed is blazingly hot, wow  
We're moaning and growling through the night, wow  
This Christmas will be a very horny Christmas for me

He accompanies the final sentence with its alongside hand movement.

Oh, shake a hand, shake a hand now…

  
What has happened?

What.

The.

Actual.

Fuck.

Has

Happened

?

  
His sweet, innocent, in love with Christmas boyfriend singing the most obscene carol ever. Bokuto smiled with pride as he let the others congratulate him, he could also be naughty.

Akaashi, thinks, that he would congratulate him later in the privacy of their home, under a mistletoe. 

Later in their home, lying tangled on the sofa with a blanket covering their naked bodies and illuminated by the Christmas tree lights. They hadn’t been able to make it to their room, lust overtaking all their senses.

Bokuto is carelessly entwining his fingers into Akaashi’s messy curls, while Akaashi is kind of dozing off.

“That song was very ingenious and very _very_ naughty of you, Kou”

He rubs his jaw against Koutarou’s shoulder as the other tightens the hold around his hips.

“Mmmmm, my pervert Grinch”

The laugh that sings in his ear gives him chills. The song whispered pressed against his skin, gives him even more. The _I love you_ that follows, makes his heart turn into marzipan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didja like it???  
> I wish I had friends to organize something like this, buuut until that moment I would have to settle for writing it hahaha
> 
> Thank you for reading and as always I really apreciate the comments and kudos :)


	8. A prank

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!
> 
> Today 28th of December is the equivalent of April's fool in Spain (where I'm from), so that is what this chapter is about.
> 
> I swear I love Bokuto and so does Akaashi hahah

It has taken him years to perfection the technique. YE-ARS.

He started styling his hair in a spiky way at the tender age of twelve, after watching some heroes anime in which one of the characters wore it that way. It wasn’t easy at the beginning, the spikes wouldn’t look natural, but much rather as if he had slept with his fingers inside a plug. Luckily there were some tutorials on YouTube, and even if those weren’t in Japanese, they helped.

The next issue was the time, both the consuming one and the little it passed for the spikes to go flat.

Along the years he got better, nothing that practice couldn’t solve and he was able to reduce from one hour to forty minutes, and finally to fifteen the time spent in doing them.

The other time issue wasn’t as simple, since it wasn’t a matter of experience, but the quality of the product. He tried thousands of brands and the better of them just went working for half of a day.

However, on a random day two years ago, an advert popped while updating his Instagram account. It was a new gel product by Marco Licianni promising to last until getting wet. He already knew those kind of disheartening promises, although he tried anyway, there wasn’t much to lose.

And tanks to Mark Zuckerberg for the cookies and thanks to Marco Licianni for the invention.

It has changed his life, not being overdramatic. Now he can go through the whole day, volley practise, included, without worrying for his spikes and hair blocking his eyes.

He treasured his Marco Licianni gel product like anything else in his life.

Well, maybe Keiji. Yes. Probably he treasured Keiji more than the gel, but apart from him… He would offer his sisters to the devil in exchange for never running out of Marco Licianni.

From Kuroo:

Akaashi!

R u ready?

All ready?

U know the deal or need 2 go over 1 more?

Kuroo had this great idea and Akaashi accepted ipso facto, well, truth be told he made himself a little bit difficult, but only for image. They have been planning it for the past week putting a lot of thought into it.

If they were going to prank Bokuto, they were going to master it.

To Kuroo:

Yes, Kuroo-san

U doubt my capacity?

That bed-shape head only had the idea, he has been the one to give them life.

From Kuroo:

No

The Grinch helps from doubting u.

Im super exited

Remember 2 film it

When is he getting home?

Is he already there?

I guess it doesn’t matter

I’ll send everything at the according hour!

He doesn’t bother on giving him an answer, Kuroo knows everything will be perfectly executed.

And, just as if he has read the message, the front door opens followed by a loud hoot hoot.

Because yes, that is the way Bokuto announces he’s home, hooting.

“Agaaaaasheeeeee, you won’t believe what happened!”

Rushed steps echoes through the apartment, one can tell how much Bokuto is exalted for the scale of resemble to an elephant. Soon, Akaashi who is currently sitting on the coffee table, has two arms and half of a body on top of him.

“What happened, Boku?” He pats one of his arms.

“There was something wrong with our gym showers, some of them didn’t work, and some others, instead of water, were throwing lava. Nobody has been able to used them”

So, from there is where the rancid smell was coming.

“You haven’t shower and are hugging me freely?” He rugs his nose and tries to scape.

“Yep. Do I stink? Yes, I do” He smells his own armpit and after sticks it into Akaashi’s face.

“Gross, Koutarou!” He pulls him out of him and stands. “Go shower, and rub yourself extra”

“Do you wanna be the one to rub me extra, extra, extra?”

He suggests with a raised eyebrow while getting near him again. If Akaashi didn’t have a prank to prepare, he might have taken on the offer.

So, as Bokuto is in the bathroom, he strategically puts his phone on the best place to record Bokuto’s reaction to the fake news, he also puts his old one to have more than one angle, then he sat on the spot the cameras were zooming.

Drama was about to happen in those walls. For a bright second the word compassion crossed his mind, but just as it came it went.

“Dry my hair?”

It had to be fate that Bokuto was asking for something related to his hair in that precise moment. With it flat and damp, dancing around his forehead and eyes.

“You know” Akaashi starts as he extends his hands to grab the towel from Bokuto. “You look really handsome wearing your hair like this” Bokuto intends to take a sit on the floor in between his legs, as usual, but Akaashi drags him to the table, because that spot is not on the camera lens.

“I’m always handsome!” He leans to the soft touch, this is one of his favourite things in life, Keiji drying out his hair in that caress way, sometimes leaving little kisses on his shoulders, back and neck, while he plays his fingers in one of his legs. “But I’m really proud of my spikes”

“I know, I was only commenting that I love your hair like this, too”

That is the only compassion he was showing for the whole prank.

“Well, you get to be almost the only one to see me this way” He pulls back a little so he can smile to him. Probably is a little stupid, but he loves that there are some things of each of them they get to be only theirs.

Bokuto’s phones meows announcing a message from Kuroo.

The plan is into motion.

“Aren’t you going to check it?”

“No, it will kill the vibe” He makes himself more comfortable into Keiji’s arms. Yep, best place to be.

“It could be important”

Bokuto sighs as if he is been asked to do homework or clean the kitchen, then takes the phone.

First he gasps.

Second he gasps louder.

Then he shuts.

And finally, the phone falls onto the floor.

Then he grabs it again and the circles repeats itself.

“Kei… Keiji, can you read this for me, I’m not sure my eyes are working properly”

He passes him the phone and Akaashi needs to suppress a laugh and fight to keep his deadpan. It’s a news Kuroo has send, a note press from Marco Licianni brand announcing the retirement of their hair product from the market (the one Bokuto uses specifically) due various reports from WWF and a lost trial, accusing them be the cause of deforestation of a protected area for the preservation of owls. They had put at risk hundreds of those animals and had already caused the death of at least forty.

Kuroo also added a: sorry bro!

“Is it what you have read?”

Bokuto doesn’t answer as he faints over the table, both legs and arms hanging from the edge of it.

Okay, that is more dramatic than what Akaashi had thought.

“Koutarou? Are you alright?”

The opposite part of Tokyo probably have heard the loud moan that goes out of Bokuto’s mouth. It will sound really creepy on the recording.

“Ahaashi” It comes rough, scratching the throat. “I wanna kill myself. I think I’m _going_ to kill myself” 

Akaashi bites the inside of his mouth, normally he is better at keeping his emotions at bay.

“I may be breathing but inside I’m dead” He breathes rough and loudly to emphasize his point.

“Don’t be so dramatic”

Bokuto moans once again, probably his mother was quitter delivering him.

“Dramatic? Akaashi, this is the worst news of the world. My product! And the owls! My owls and the product!”

He starts crying and gasping for air, but no, he is not being dramatic. In the beginning the owl part wasn’t a part of the plan, but after thinking it a bit, Kuroo and Akaashi decided to add for the extra touch, a really good decision it seems.

“’Kaashi, forty owls have died because of me, this spikes have killed them! How I’m supposed to live with the knowledge of this”

He turns over himself to hide his face against the table. He feels like the world became a place a little worst, crueller. How is he going to face it now? Without spikes, that is one. He won’t just loose his ultimate hair product, he also has been supporting, advertising and loving a brand that is responsible for killing owls.

Oh my god. How is he going to face his former Fukurodani team? How is he going to look at the current members when he goes to supervise them? His little owls.

His life is miserable.

“Koutarou?” He feels a hand brushing his hair. How is he going to keep dating his favourite owl? Probably Keiji is now planning how leave him, who would keep the sofa and who would take the fridge.

“I’m miserable. I’m _a_ miserable. Just break up with me already”

Akaashi doesn’t know if to feel amused or bad, he just hopes the cameras are doing the scene justice.

“I’m sure there still are bottles of the product on the supermarket to buy”

“It’s not sold on regular shops and not even amazon delivers it to Japan, you know it because I always complain”

Nevertheless, Keiji might be into something, maybe not everything is lost yet. In a heartbeat he is in his two feet, eyes wide open.

“Koutarou?”

“The harm is already done, no? I can’t let the owls to have died in vain, the product needs to be put in good use”

Then he disappears into the hallway and comes back fully dressed, coat included.

“I’m heading out” He announces in a military kind of way. “I will be back when I finish my mission”

“Koutarou?”

But he doesn’t add anything more and the next it can be heard is their front door closing.

Akaashi kind of guesses what Koutarou is up to, the thing is, is he going to regret the whole prank thing after all?

Well, there is no case in start worrying already, so he grabs the phone and makes himself comfortable on the coach to watch into camera Koutarou’s reaction

When he opens the door Kuroo is already wearing his typical grind.

“Why can’t I hear him crying?”

He feels the disappointment running through his veins, he really thought he was going to see a moping Bokuto.

“He is not here”

“WHAT? He didn’t buy it? We had planned to perfection how can that be possible?”

He grabs his phone, which is screaming for a rest after had been playing the video for the past hour.

“Watch it for yourself”

The phone ends up burning and the battery dying.

“This is hilarious, this is amazing. This video can never be lost”

That won’t be a problem since he already has uploaded on his computer along with the other one. Both recordings are safe from any harm.

“And now, you say, he is out there buying bottles of product”

Akaashi sighs, that is the tricky part. He hopes for the best, but expects the worst, Bokuto arriving carrying a bag full of bottles.

“I’m so loving this”

Just as he says it, the front door sounds opening for the hundredth time that evening, Kuroo runs to position his phone to record this moment as well.

It’s worse than what Akaashi thought, Bokuto is carrying two bags, not one.

“Kubro! I’m glad you are here, now I can thank you in person for giving me the devastating news” He sets the two bags on the table and Akaashi fears giving a peak to the inside. “I don’t know what could have I done if all of sudden there wasn’t no more Marco Licianni”

He hugs his Kubro, best Kubro of the world.

“Koutarou, what is this?” He asks as fearing to peak a look inside of the bags.

“Oh, I have had so much luck! The place where I buy it (the only one that sells it in Tokyo) had recently gotten new stock of the product, so I bought it all, of course”

Bokuto is smiling proud of himself, nevertheless, Akaashi is feeling a deep desire to kill Kuroo, who just happens to be holding up a big laugh.

“Of course” He repeats sarcastically, thought he shouldn’t, this is his fault, he should have known better. “How many?”

“Forty bottles”

At that, Kuroo bends over himself snorting like a hyena incapable to hold it any longer. Akaashi tries to play Scar to shut him up, but it has the opposite effect.

“A bottle lasts me around two weeks, if a month has four weeks that means I will have product for at least a year!” He takes one of the bottles and hugs it. “I feel a little bit safer now. And maybe, in that amount of time, Marco has found a solution to keep producing this baby without killing owls”

Akaashi can’t take it anymore, where are they keeping forty bottles of hair product, the bathroom is already full, in the kitchen next to the tomato sauce?

This is Nightmare _after_ Christmas.

And Kuroo is Oogie Boogie.

“Koutarou, sit down, I need to tell you something” He drags him by the elbow to sit on the sofa.

“NO, NO! Akaashi, we still can get more!” Of course Oogie Boogie would be against the idea of stopping the nightmare.

“What? Kubro, do you know somewhere else in Tokyo that sells it?”

At that point, Kuroo can only breathe and wipe his tears.

“Listen Bokuto” He puts a hand on his shoulders, trying to assure the maximum attention possible. “It was a prank, the new Kuroo-san send you is fake. Marco Licianni is not responsible for the death of any owl and is, and will continue to be, on the market”

Bokuto’s big golden eyes go round with confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“What Akaashi means, Bo, is that everything is a lie”

The gap between eyebrow and eyebrow ceased to exist.

“A lie? How come a lie?” He switches his glaze from one to another. “I saw the news, you send it to me, Kuroo”

Kuroo takes a sit next to him on the table, while Akaashi is still standing in front.

“We made the news, it’s fake”

Bokuto’s mind starts to digest everything, his stomach on the other hand, doesn’t. The past few hours have all been a lie. He has even cried, and all for a simple joke.

“You created it?” He holds his breath as he moves his eyes from his supposed friend to his supposed boyfriend. “You too, Keiji?”

Bokuto is looking at Akaashi like if the end of the world was about to fall and crash him at any moment.

“Yes, Koutarou, it was all a prank from both of us”

Bokuto gasps.

“Don’t Koutarou me!” He stands at one blow. “I can’t believe you both did this to me, do you even love me?”

Kuroo wants no laugh, but restrains himself to not make the situation worst. Anyway, he is bursting in the inside.

Akaashi, on the other hand, wants to cry just imaging what he will have to deal with for the next days. He is already shedding tears internally from the thought of facing Koutarou that night.

Bokuto stamps out of the living room and locks himself inside their bedroom, followed by the other two, which are far from feeling guilty.

“Koutarou” He says knocking the door, but no response comes from the other side.

“Brokuto”

The door stables open showing an almost crying Bokuto.

“Leave alone” The voice comes out so weak that it’s more a high pitch chirp than anything else. “And I told you to not Koutarou me, I’m neither brokuto right now”

Akaashi wants to smooth his frown away with his lips and hug him until his pouts cease.

“Brokuto” He uses the nickname again earning a growl. “Today is pranks day, it was just a silly joke”

Bokuto whines like a wounded animal, why is always him on the receiving side?

“You two know how precious my spikes are to me and how much Marco has changed my life”

He walks with heavy feet to the bed and throws himself into it, hiding his face in between the pillows.

“It was mean”

The two brunets exchange a shared smirk and then Akaashi walks over the bed taking place next to his boyfriend.

“Look at the bright side, Koutarou” He starts while entwining his fingers in his hair. “You don’t need to worry about running out of product for a whole year”

After a few seconds he moves his head from the pillows to look with realization eyes to Akaashi and then to Kuroo, who is nodding in agreement.

“Well, that is true, I have a lot of stock”

However, the glow that was starting to awake only stays for a few seconds as another thought sinks in his brain at the same time he hides his face once more. Yes, he has bought a lot of product…

“And I might not be able to pay rent this month”

The words, which were almost a murmur to begin with, are half drown by the pillows.

“Uh, what was that?”

He has kind of understood, but needs to make sure.

“I spend half of my monthly income” He says a little bit clearer. “At least”

But, it isn’t his fault, is it? He has being prank, Keiji has at least half of it, and the other half belongs to Kuroo, so it’s not his fault at all.

“What?”

Kuroo burst into a laugh and fights against leaning over so he can record properly the moment.

“Keiji, you can’t be mad at me, I was pranked, and by you, no less!”

  
Akaashi damns himself, he should have anticipated an outcome like that one. There is no need to panic, Koutarou is not good with money matters (every time he has to face taxes is a pain in the ass), so he probably hasn’t spent as much as he thinks.

“Bro, your landlord is going to kick you both. Your beloved Keiji will have to sleep on the streets and you know how cold he gets, I give him one night before he…” He doesn’t finish the sentence with words, but mimics a dead person.

“NOOOO!” Bokuto stands in less than a second to squeeze Akaashi in his arms, trying to warm him from that awful future. “My baby no! Keiji, what have I done!”

Bokuto drops to his knees on the wooden floor, maybe Keiji wasn’t wrong with his black Christmas song. He glues his glaze to the little mark that Keiji and he made the day they moved in trying to assemble the bed. They will have to farewell all those little memories and the tall Christmas tree that doesn’t fit in normal ceilings.

He feels a confidence hand squeeze his shoulders and after finding the courage to raise his head he is met with those blue gunmetal eyes.

“I’ve got you Kou” The hand moves to cup his jaw. “Don’t worry”

Later, they receive a thousand photos from Kuroo, and Akaashi decides that he will hang on the fridge the one Bokuto is crying while hugging one of the product bottles. Bokuto, on the other hand, can’t find on himself to be mad for the prank because he has the best boyfriend of the planet and doesn’t have to farewell his tall Christmas tree (yet), and also and most importantly, he has Marco Liciani for a whole year.


	9. Coffee shops itinerary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!
> 
> In this one there is a little little little bit of drama (but just really tiny, nothing significant), it wasn't planned, but before I realized my fingers had worte it by themselves hahaa (they like drama better than I do -.-').

The thing about Christmas is that everybody is into the mood.

Some because they feel it, some others because they get drag along. Like Bokuto and Akaashi, for example.

One thing that really helps and really cross the next level of getting into it is the commerce, especially the cafeterias. That cosy place where you can drink and eat thematic Christmas food while looking at cute decorations, and people in a good mood carrying presents bags.

Bokuto loves trying all different places during the festivity and compare them after, then, the one that he likes the most, he recommends it on his Instagram, and if the moment accompanies it, in some post-game interview.

He has already visited a few, some alone, some with his parents, with co-players, with Kuroo… And today is the turn to go with his beloved boyfriend. Of course it won’t be just like any other normal day, they are going to visit more than one to rate them, he has already planned the itinerary. The last one to visit is special, a surprise for Keiji (mostly so he can’t refuse to go) and he is dying to get there.

He has been so lucky to find that place, a wet pamphlet stacked under his bike wheel. Fate playing its cards, clearly.

He is waiting outside Akaashi’s job as he has come to pick him up and go straight to the planning.

To keibaby <3

Where r uuuuuuuuuu

Im freezing

My butt is frozen

Come here alreadyyyyyyyy

And warm me up

Keijiiiiiiiiiiiii

Babyyyyyyy

Keiji Bokuto!

Oya, oya?

From keibaby <3

Almost

U r annoying.

To keibaby <3

Don’t tire urself writing

Coul have said u lof me

Hurry uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup

Its cold outside baby

“He has disconnected his phone. How does he dare to call me annoying in that cold way?” He matters to himself.

“Would you rather I tell you in person, because I don’t mind”

Keiji appears from behind him, wearing a bonnet and a raised eyebrow.

“No” Bokuto moves his glaze to one of the cars on the opposite side of the street.

“Are you sure? Because you can be super annoy…”

“I said no! Behave Keiji, kiss me hello instead of teasing me already”

Akaashi puts both hands on his shoulders doing a little pressure.

“That I can do, too”

And then he kiss him and kiss him and kiss him like never in public. It’s not intimately indecent, not like tongue and spittle, but little pecks all over the face, some sappier than others. Bokuto is not going to complain, he is receiving them with gusto, only that situation usually happens when he wants to annoy Akaashi.

“Are you okay, ‘Kaashi?”

“You don’t like them? Am I bothering you?”

He perfectly knows that is not the case, just want to pull a little bit, but Koutarou does a face, because he is not buying the fake innocence put into those words, not after the whole day of yesterday. He has had nightmares all night.

“I’m feeling generous” Bokuto hums in agreement and Akaashi grabs his hand and puts the both of them, fingers entwined, inside his coat pocket. “Shall we start your itinerary?”

“YES, LET’S GO”

The first is the cafeteria from a four stars hotel in the centre of Tokyo. He wasn’t a big fan of those places because all the etiquette, the tiny plates and the people who seem to have a stick stacked in their butt. However, his coach recommended it and it wouldn’t look good to not go, besides, Keiji’s quiet aura fitted in there.

Actually, Keiji being the handsomest man on earth, fitted perfectly surrounded by elegance.

There aren’t a lot of decorations, a tall tree on the corner, some garlands hanging in between pictures and last, the tablecloths have thematic embroidery.

They ask for their most Christmassy drink and dessert. And a tall man who smiles politely serves them ginger tea in a teapot made of metal and plum pudding.

When Bokuto thinks about Christmas flavours, plum pudding doesn’t cross his mind.

“It’s nice”

He comments after swallowing a piece of pudding.

It’s not even chocolate one, for not talking about the lack of decoration.

“I don’t like it much, the pudding is not bad, but it’s not my cup of tea, neither is the place” Keiji starts. “I’m really surprised you chose to come here”

Bokuto relaxes a bit at hearing that and sits a little less straight, not so much as he fears someone from the staff will come and scold him for bad posture.

“I don’t like it at all, the Christmas tree is practically naked! But coach suggested it and I couldn’t say no”

Akaashi hums, the things you got to do for your bosses.

“Let’s go to the next place on the itinerary”

“But we haven’t finish”

He doubts, but his tremors are not about finishing the pudding or not and Akaashi knows that, reading Koutarou it’s always been his speciality.

“You can tell your coach it was a nice place and you are thankful for the recommendation, _if_ he asks”

Koutarour is not quite good at lying, so whatever he says it needs to be kept near the truth as much as possible.

“You are the best, Keiji!” He says in a yelled whisper, he is not making a spectacle in his coach’s cafeteria. “You always know what to say”

The next cafeteria is another classic but a more suited one, because the classic stands for Christmassy classical. It only opens this time of the years and the inside tries to replicate the Pole North and Santa’s fabric.

The door is made to look like an igloo one, there is also a little one for the kids (and for Bokuto who struggles hugely to make his one hundred ninety centimetres cross it), just entering they meet the North Pole area, a penguin accompanied by a white seal are standing holding a stray each one with pale green and red shots. They taste like peppermint and strawberries.

The floor is white and it has snowflakes draws all over it. A person dressed like a polar bear welcomes them and makes him walk to the fabric of Santa Klaus, where an elf is waiting to attend them.

If the polar bear was something, this is next level. There are all kind of different tables, one from a fabric with tools on it and fake dirt, others like the ones for children, an upside down sled, which is the one Bokuto choses. There are also toys stacked everywhere, some unfinished and some broken, and a big tree (far from being naked). A fake fireplace with a fake Santa coming down with reindeers beside him, too, of course.

And sparkle, everything glows and sparkles.

For a moment Akaashi gets the feeling he is inside a brothel instead of a cafeteria. Is not his cup of tea because any of this is Japanese tradition, they could have perfectly been transported to United States.

Nevertheless, Koutarou is glowing as well, and the whole purpose of this is him. So, even if he preferred the hotel cafeteria, he is more content to be here.

“Here is the menu” It has the form of a Santa Klaus head.

“No need, just bring us your two favourites drinks and dessert of your Christmassy specials”

“Everything in here is Christmas specially, but sure” He doesn’t sound like and elf should at all.

“He should sound more content, he is working in Santa’s fabric”

Akaashi refrains himself from commenting that, precisely, he sounds done _because_ he works in this heel of a place. He can have nightmares with that hanging doll which keeps opening his mouth.

“This is another thing” Bokuto says happily while looking everywhere, is not his first time here, but each year the decoration is different. Last year, for example, instead of the North Pole they recreated the sky while Santa was flying with the sled.

“Don’t swear it”

The one that serves them is another elf, one who smiles like he is in the best place of earth.

“These are my absolutely favourite, I hope you _Christmas_ enjoy them, they melt hearts!”

This time they get something that looks like a pudding (on purpose, probably) but it’s a delicious chocolate cake covered in Maltesers, a caramel pear galette with the custard shaped in little starts and two hot cocoa drinks with a Santa on top shaped by milk foam.

“I love this place, we need to tip extra that elf because this ones are delicious”

They actually are, surprisingly.

“Maybe next year we can come wearing costumes”

“You can come with Kuroo-san or Oikawa-san, if you would like” He smiles the grin that says _no way is happening_.

Before leaving they do give extra tip to the smiling elf and ask for an extra caramel pear galette to take away, since Akaashi loved it a little bit too much.

Bokuto fidgets with his fingers while they walk to the next stop, for some reason he is nervous.

He shouldn’t, he is normally existed over the verge, for outsiders viewers it could look like the same since his reactions are quite similar. However, Akaashi can tell the difference, and this one is Bokuto being nervous when he shouldn’t be.

“What happens, Kou?”

He looks at him, but no golden glaze meets his eyes,

“Ah. Nothing, nothing happens” It’s clearly a lie.

“Koutarou”

That’s it, he can’t hold it any longer. IT doesn’t really matter since Keiji is going to find out in some minutes, anyway.

“You know how much I love you…”

“Just tell me what have you done and how much is going to cost us” At this point his expects the worst, maybe accidentally he broke someone’s car or their television or who knows.

“Don’t worry about the cost, is already paid” Bokuto takes a breath, most certainly he is being dramatic. “The cafeteria we are going now is rather simple, nothing like the last one”

Akaashi remains silent as Bokuto does, he knows there is more coming.

“The special thing is they are hosting a dessert contest”

Oh, maybe he was nervous about disappointing him for not choosing an over top Christmas cafeteria.

“In which I have signed us up”

Or maybe not.

“You what?”

Bokuto is scared, because Akaashi is smiling like he does in Halloween dressed up as a nut doctor.

“It’s not like Masterchef or anything big, is a simple contest to see who creates the best drink”

Bokuto grabs him by the arms, but Akaashi is not pulling off the smile.

“KEIJI, I’M SO SORRY, PLEASE FORGIVE ME, I’LL MAKE LAUNDRY FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR”

“There’s only two days left”

“THEN FOR THE NEXT WHOLE MONTH, BUT PLEASE DON’T BREAK UP WITH ME, I LOVE YOU”

People are starting to stop to look at them, it will be a matter of time when someone recognizes Bokuto and records the scene.

“Bokuto, please” He shakes the two hands from his body and gives him a severe look. He would enter at any needed contest to stop being on the spotlight.

“DON’T BREAK UP WITH HIM!”

“YEAH, HE SEEMS LIKE HE LOVES YOU!”

Why on earth is people shouting to him? He grabs Koutarou by the elbow and starts walking fast out of there, dragging him along.

“Let’s go to the contest”

He feels mad, he feels like going home.

“Re… really?”

Bokuto recuperates his arm and the pace with him.

“But Bokuto” Oh, oh, he doesn’t look annoyed, he looks mad. “If you ever make another scene like that one in public, I’m breaking up with you”

He gulps, though the knot doesn’t go down with it. Keiji is not joking, this time is not a tease. He opens his mouth to say something, but all his attempts result in resembling a fish gasping for oxygen.

“I am really sorry, Keiji” His voice is quiet and serious. “We can go home if you aren’t up for the contest”

Akaashi massages his temples, what has happened in only a few seconds?

“It’s not about the contest, Bokuto”

Being called Bokuto feels like needles nailing all over his body. He wants to be Kou’.

“I know” A whisper full of pain, the last he wants in life is to hurt Keiji and he has done it by being selfish.

“People were staring, they were talking. What if someone has recorded it? I _so_ don’t want to be on internet because my boyfriend was making a childish scene”

He knows Bokuto is sorry, he knows he understands where his angriness comes from.

“I’m sorry, I really am” He doesn’t know what else to say, how to apologize.

“Let’s go to that cafeteria” 

Akaashi sighs. As long as he understands, what is done is done.

“We don’t have to do it”

“I said let’s go to that cafeteria, Koutarou”

Bokuto nods and starts the lead, allowing himself to smile a bit for the last word. To be Koutarou again means a lot, means that Keiji is a little bit less mad at him.

As Bokudo had said, this cafeteria is a normal one. It has big windows, pale wooden floor, tables and chairs and just the necessary decorations. Plus, it has plants hanging from the ceiling.

In one side they have made room for the contest with a big table for the kitchen utensils and ingredients and little ones for the contestants.

The rules are easy, every partner has twenty minutes to present the best Christmassy drink using the ingredients of the big table. Taste, appearance and presentation will decide the winners, taking the prize of having their drink added to the menu a waffle machine.

Keiji looks at Koutarou, though he is looking attentively at the staff people, he had mention to him a few days back the need of buying a new waffle machine since theirs is not working well.

One thing is one thing, and another thing is another thing, nevertheless, sometimes is really hard to get mad at Koutarou.

It’s not like they don’t have the money, but surely Koutarou thought it would be cool to win it.

He tugs a bit one of Bokuto’s fingers to get his attention, in less than two seconds hi has a pair of peering eyes on him.

“Let’s win this”

Bokuto first frowns and then nods happily.

“Let’s make it extra sweet, like Christmas is”

“Nobody wants extra sweet drinks, it’s impossible to finish them. If we are doing a drink it has to have alcohol, that is what adults need”

Bokuto is about to argue, but he ends up nodding. In fact, he remains quieter than usual, his tone of voice is soft and low, not dragging any attention.

“Keiji! That’s so much alcohol, it’s a cafeteria not a bar” He stops him from pouring more. “Here, put more cinnamon to take away the bitterness, also honey. No, stop! You already putted rum, it doesn’t need gin”

If it was for Akaashi he would be creating a cocktail. Perhaps next time they can enter in that kind of contest.

“I want to be in charge of the decorations”

Bokuto shapes some strawberries into Santa’s hat and places them inside, against the glass so they can be seen. The brown colour the rum gives has already a nice cosy touch. And, to finalize it, on top the wipe cream with golden sprinkles. It looks like something even Akaashi would order (specially knowing rum is a main component).

Somehow they end up winning.

Bokuto doesn’t make a fuss over it. He smiles widely and asks for a photo with the staff personal to post it on Instagram, he doesn’t insist on Keiji to be on it.

It’s weird to see him act like that. It’s not bad, but neither good. Akaashi can put his feelings in order.

While walking back home, Bokuto hugs the box of the waffle machine against his chest, and walks a little bit ahead of Akaashi.

“We won, ‘kaashi, ‘cause we are the best team” He turns his head to smile at him. “Tomorrow I’ll make waffles”

Then looks ahead again and Akaashi feels something in the pit of his stomach, life if Koutarou should be having him instead of that box.

“Koutarou”

“Uh?” He stops and looks back again, Akaashi has stopped as well.

“Give me a winning kiss?”

Koutarou nods and throws himself into his lips, making it more teeth and flesh. He hugs him closely to deepen the kiss, smiling into it.

“I love you so much, Keiji”

Akaashi hums and lingers a little bit into de embrace before pulling away.

“Waffles for dinner?”

Bokuto feels like that is his winning prize.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!


	10. Marry me or not marry me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!
> 
> We are so close to the end, only one day remaining. It's crazy how time flies this fast O.O

For the past two years Bokuto has had no practice on the 30th, so Akaashi just goes along and ask for a free day, too. They like to make a quick trip to see the lights of others prefectures before they are taken out and replaced by the New Year’s one.

Basically, the 30th is the deadline.

This year it’s the turn of Osaka. Bokuto had been dying to contemplate the Midosuji-dori Illumination as everybody accords is one of the most wonderful of the country. And today he gets the opportunity.

Osaka is already a beautiful city in itself but adding kilometres and kilometres of streets lighten up, it takes it to another level of majesty.

Nonetheless, what Akaashi is most looking forward is to eat the best thing the city has, their insignia, the takoyakis. He loves them, maybe not as much as onigiris, but he could eat a dozen of them, and after, a dozen more.

“I’m super exited” Bokuto fidgets on the sit.

“You have been super exited for the whole Christmas season” He says absently, catching up some emails from work.

“Because we have done super exiting plans, besides, you know how much I love travelling by train”

Yes, he knows. That is the reason they have taken the long way train instead of the fast one, as they will be doing on the return. Bokuto adores the wagon movement and the windows sights, although he can’t stand to be sited for a long period of time. A painful love.

“Why don’t you go and walk down the aisle for a bit” Akaashi suggests, Bokuto’s hyperactivity needs to be put at rest.

“I don’t wanna miss the views”

Bokuto shakes his head, they are crossing a stunning snowed passage. It reminds him of all the Christmas films he has watched.

“You can still see them”

The situation is more painful for Akaashi than for Bokuto, handling his nothing average hyperactivity is not easy feast.

“No” He revolves in his sit again, Akaashi feels like sighting, but he is just so used to this. “Can we play a game?”

Yep, he has lived this situation uncountable times in all their trips and in their volleyball years together.

“What do you want to play?” He puts away the phone, giving him his whole attention, just as his boyfriend loves.

“This or that”

Akaashi hums in agreement, it’s not an awful game, it could have been _I spy_ …

“I’m starting” He claps happily, he loves the game, although, even if there is no loss of win in it, he always kind of feels like he had lost. “Okay, Akaash’, what do you prefer, takoyakis or onigiris?”

He smiles internally, Koutarou never puts any difficulty on his questions.

“Onigiris” He doesn’t even need to think, onigiris would always go first.

“Oh, that one was easy! “Bokuto hums a bit annoyed with his first question. “Oniguiris or nanohana no karashiae, then” Yes, that one is more complicated.

“It’s my turn, Koutarou, but if you really want an answer I’ll go with onigiris again”

In reality he isn’t sure, he loves both of those foods a bit too much for his own good, however, one only needs to give a quick answer to get into Bokuto’s nerves. The reaction is immediate as Bokuto purses his lips.

“Now, choose Kou, owls or volleyball” The options are not particularity difficult, anyone would pick their passion over some animal without thinking it twice, but they will be difficult for him.

Bokuto howls at hearing the question.

“Keiji! You are so mean” How can he choose between two of his favourite things. “I can’t pick one over the other, I love volleyball, but owls make me happy, like the bread in its shape that we buy”

The bread wouldn’t taste as good if it wasn’t shaped into an owl, neither he would be as eager to put his pyjamas on, weren’t they owl themed. Why is life so complicated?

Akaashi raises an eyebrow, waiting for the answer.

“Okay, owls I love you to death, don’t take it personal” He sighs before saying the next words out loud. “I chose volleyball. It’s what pays the rent”

“Do you mean that if you were to happen to win the lottery and wouldn’t be on need of money anymore, you would chose owls over volley?” Akaashi asks with a deadpan, but inside he is smirking.

“Uh?” His face goes white, that is… what? “Hypothetical situations are not part of the game and it’s my turn, so stop messing up with me”

Keiji gives him an apologetic smile, was he nicer he would kiss him, but he knows the apologetic part is not even real.

However, he has a question that if Akaashi wasn’t sitting, he is sure he would fall onto his butt.

“Marry me or not marry me?”

Kei’s expression doesn’t go wild as he has thought, only his eyes close a little.

“You know not heterosexual marriage is illegal in Japan, Koutarou”

Bokuto sighs, of course he knows, how could he not. Nonetheless, he isn’t proposing, proposing, he is hypothetically proposing.

“Just use your imagination. Marry me or not marry me?”

Keiji grabs one of his hands and starts playing with his fingers. Is not a difficult question (or so he hopes), but he feels this time he has won the game.

“I remember you saying no hypothetical situations”

Keiji smiles innocently.

Maybe he hasn’t won the game just yet.

“Keiji! Choose!”

Keiji gives him the sweetest glaze, tugs a little his hair and brushes his cheek. He feels over the moon, he loves when Keiji acts affectionate because he knows he only does it with him and his parents’ home cat.

“Not marry”

“See, was it that difi… WAIT. KEIJI!!”

He starts complaining like a child while Akaashi laughs, until someone shush them.

“After the twenty eighth we agreed no more teasing for the rest of the year. WAIT. Were you teasing?”

It’s true that after the prank he agreed on cutting out the teasing as a way to earn his forgiveness, and he has done it, though not at the hundredth percent. It’s in his nature, is like asking Bokuto to spend three days without yelling.

“We are practically married Kou, of course I will do it”

Only with those little words, the glow in his eyes returns to match the gold.

“I knew you loved me, I don’t know you always try to hide it”

“I’ve never tried to hide it, Koutarou, I was the one who confessed, I kindly reminding you”

It’s true, Keiji got ahead of him in that matter, one hot day after a killer practise.

“Well, I don’t need your kindly remind”

When they finally arrive in Osaka the first stop they make, because it couldn’t be any other, is to a food truck of tokoyaki. The little balls look shiny and delicious and they buy a box of only ten, since Akaashi says they have got to try them from more than one food stand to taste them all.

“These are delicious, we should have bought more”

They are. They melt in the mouth leaving an explosion of octopus.

“We will buy a box to take home from the place we like best”

In 2004, this lights spectacle, earn his spot on the Guinness World Record’s book as the most illuminated trees on a single street, by lighting up more than five hundred trees. Not a tiny fest.

And truth be told, it is really something. Ir felt more like having landed on a different planet, a technological advanced one, but not in a vulgar ordinary way. The street has not a hint of resemblance to a cheap decorated Christmas tree as many other places day have visited, it’s magnificent and elegant, outwardly and magical, bathing the whole Midosuji area in a sea of lights.

The starting point is a tree lighten up tunnel, all in electric blue. The branches of each opposite line get close and tangle making it look like constellations titling above their heads. It kinds of reminds to Akaashi the Disney attraction Space Mountain for the outwardly vibe it gives.

“Akaashi, to the infinite and beyond!” Bokuto positions his body like Buzz Lightyear in the same way the toy does every time it yelled its famous sentence.

“Wait, I’ll take a photo”

Koutarou looks like the ace he is, all reflected in blue and ready to take off from this planet to finally hang on the sky as the brightest star. Akaashi doesn’t want to be abandoned there on earth, even if he doesn’t shine on his own. So he jumps on Bokuto’s back extending his arms as the other was doing seconds ago, one to the side and the other above their heads.

“Keiji?” He staggers in surprise, but reassures the hold by grabbing his legs.

“Run to the end of the world, Kou!!” Probably his yell is quieter than Bokuto’s usual tone of voice, but he feels he is been heard even from Venus.

Bokuto laughs as he starts running and running, holding Keiji as if he let go only a centimetre he would lose him into the space forever. Some people scold and yell at them, as he has to dodge them to not collide. Meanwhile, Keiji beams into his ear and keeps telling him to run.

Was that a film, they would reach the end of the world and stop in a sea of stars, they would hover among those blue lights whilst holdings hands and smile to each other. Was that a film, their bodies would finally fuse becoming just one.

But they are not in a film, so they stop when the tunnel ends giving birth to a more pinkish lights, and their spatial tour dies.

Akaashi remains in Bokuto’s back, not showing much intention of leaving his spaceship.

“What was that?” Bokuto pulls a little his head to reach Akaashi’s eyes.

“Just trying to go where you are, my shiny star” He says as rubbing his fingers on his neck.

“Keiji!”

Bokuto needs to stop himself from star running again at the sudden flush that overtakes his body. Instead, he jumps a bit dragging Akaashi closer to him. However, Akaashi gets off of the hold putting his feet on the ground, and before Bokuto has time to pout, he kisses him and rests their foreheads together after it for a few seconds.

“If I’m a star, you are the Sun” Bokuto says in a hush, almost inside his lips.

Akaashi accepts the compliment with a blinding smile that makes Bokuto feel drunk. After they break apart, Akaashi grabs his hand, looks at him and says:

“The sun is also a star” As if anybody could be the sun apart of Koutarou, anyway.

“Keiji!” He moans and squeezes a bit his hand. “Then you are the Galaxy, nothing can out beat the Galaxy”

The new scenario is probably not as spectacular as the previous one, but it does give a warmer feeling with the new colours lights, the ground covered in pink and the trees dressed in bright yellow.

They stop at a food truck that sells oniguiris dyed in pale pink and shaped into sakura flowers, to accompany their new box of tokoyakis.

“Write down that the others were better, these are drier” Bokuto comments as he takes another bite.

Akaashi agrees and takes out his phone to write it, at the end they need to find the best ones to take home.

Nevertheless, they eat pinkish oniguiris while walking over pink grass that matched their blushed cold cheeks and their enamoured hearts.

“This place is almost as cute as you”

“You are embarrassing, Koutarou”

The end of the rout leads to the main square, where all the buildings are brighten up in all different colours that one would think only in the imagination all together could match up, but in person they surprisingly do. A pink door with a red and blue roof or a green staircase with orange windows marks. At one side, there is also an orchestra performing on top of a stand carrying and playing a variety instruments. They are composed by a maximum of ten people, nevertheless, it seems more than sufficient to play really nicely traditional Japanese songs.

It really feels like they landed in a fairy tale.

Was homosexual marriage allowed in Japan, maybe Akaashi would be possessed by the Christmas spirit as well and would kneel before Koutarou in that moment.

Luckily for once he is glad about the law, he so does not want to let Christmas take control of his mind and body. Besides, if he ever proposes it would be in a volleyball court, without doubt.

“What?” Bokuto asks after feeling the staring eyes for a while.

“Nothing” Slowly he moves his glaze to look in front, without a bit of shame.

“Keijiiii, tell me!”

He would make a deal with the devil to seal his lips before confessing what he was thinking. Koutarou can never know, under any circumstances, that he almost got carried on by Christmas.

“Oh, look, there is another tokoyaki food truck there, let’s try them”

The simple thought of food makes him feel sick after all they have eaten, however, he needs something to distract the stubbornness of his boyfriend. Otherwise, he would never let go and he will end up asking him to move to the first country they can get married.

“If I eat another tokoyaki I will transform into an octopus” He tries to stop Akaashi from dragging him. “Besides, you were going to tell me something”

“Look, they are Christmas themed”

At that Bokuto stretches his swan neck trying to catch a glimpse of the food, his eyes awaking at the sight. In fact, the balls are green with little red dots decorating them.

“Maybe I have room for one more”

Akaashi rolls his eyes, but doesn’t make a comment.

“This is delicious! They got to be the chosen ones, Keiji!”

Akaashi looks at him with a deep deadpan at two seconds of spitting the piece he is chewing on a napkin.

“These are not just by far the worst we have eaten today, but probably one of the worst I’ve ever tried”

“What? No!” Bokuto’s face goes white at the possibility of not buying more, or maybe at the possibility of buying more, he is not sure.

“You are only saying this because they look like Christmas trees, but if you insist you can finish them all”

Akaashi gives Bokuto the box, who contemplates it with doubt all over his face and pursed lips. They taste horrible but really look nice.

“I’m ranking them with a minus one” This is his punishment for trying to distract Bokuto.

Maybe, Bokuto thinks, he can give them to Kuroo as his vendetta gift for the other day prank, and make him eat them with him to make sure he doesn’t throw them away.

Out of the blue, when they are playing to interlace their pinkies and Bokuto is giving Akaashi that enamoured look that takes his breath and soul away, half of the orchestra takes place by their side, surrounding them with a huge grin occupying all their faces. They are dressed in red velvet clothes and Akaashi swears they could have escaped from a scary film, so he grabs Koutarou’s elbow just in case they need to make a runaway.

The tuba girl starts playing the melody, and Bokuto beams recognising it.

_Kissin’ by the Mistletoe._

“Oh my god! This is happening!” Bokuto covers his mouth with his hands and Akaashi wishes he could cover his ears as well without being rude.

The harmonic and the violin play along the tuba as the others start singing and swinging from side to side.

There's a very good reason  
Why the holiday season  
Is a wonderful time  
For a boy and ~~girl~~ boy to fall in love

Bokuto hums along with them, he couldn’t look happier in that moment. His expression is near the one when he wins a game.

He claps and beams and make little jumps, all while Akaashi wonders why are these people singing to them when the square is crowded with more suitable candidates.

'Cause Santa and Cupid  
Planned exactly what you did  
When you kissed me by the mistletoe above

From somewhere, one of the singers pulls out a mistletoe and approaches them until the little plant is hanging above their heads. People, and not only the orchestra, are looking at them expectant, whilst beginning to repeat loudly as a side chorus “kiss by the mistletoe, kiss by the mistletoe”.

“Keiji!”

Bokuto’s eyes are pouring the sun to the whole Japan, glowing so intensely that the lights decorating the buildings lose their function.

Akaashi sighs and takes his hand, it won’t kill him to make a spectacle of the kiss if the result is that pure happiness slopped all over him.

Basking in Koutarou never grows old, neither.

We stood there kissin' by the mistletoe

Tingle, tingle, tingle, tingle

Muah muah and away we go out

Jingle, jingle

Kissin' by the mistletoe, love came to stay

And now it's Christmas every day

They kiss first a little shyly, as if their lips were meeting for the first time, but then they forget that is not a film and the wind gets warmer as their blood does. Bokuto pulls Akaashi closer and tangles his fingers with the silky black curls, while Akaashi has both hands over his face and plays with his ear.

Someone hisses loudly breaking the moment and they part to see a hundred pair of eyes staring and the orchestra members smiling with rowdy pride.

“So much for a first kiss, the Christmas spirit crosses borders” The tuba girl comments happily as if she had won the lottery.

“Ah?” Bokuto tilts his head not understanding and then turns his head to look at Akaashi, who chuckles under his breath, the orchestra thinks they have played Christmas cupid.

“I’m sorry to break the news in your Christmassy hearts, but we have been dating for a few years now”

Akaashi is not able to point who looks more like a kicked puppy, if the spectators or his boyfriend.

“Keiji, you are so mean! Was it that hard to play along?” He says kicking the ground almost in a tantrum. “You’ve earn the Grinch back”

Bokuto starts rummaging his pockets, first one, then other, until the piece of fabric from inside is all out showing they are empty.

“NOOO, I LOST IT!” He keeps rummaging as if the paper would miraculously appear. “I lost it, ‘Kashi”

His eyes and spikes deflate as if someone took Christmas away from him, resembling a punctuated ball at the end of summer.

“It’s okay, Bo, I will always be your Grinch”

Bokuto nods with a shy smile, not knowing if he should cheer up to those words or cry them.

When they get home with a box of twenty four tokoyakis from the first food truck, there are only twelve left, and they also hold two empty cups of hot chocolate. For the cold, they said, like the reason for walking with their bodies all tangled. From the outside nobody could have distinguished where each one started.

He holds Keiji’s hand to drag him to a certain place of the house, next to the big window that shows a perfect view. He places him into the right spot and then points to the ceiling, Keiji looks up following his finger, and then, when his eyes collide against the stacked mistletoe, he chuckles making Koutarou’s heart skip a beat.

“Koutarou” He rests his head on Bokuto’s shoulders and rubs his forehead a bit against it.

Oh, kissin' by the mistletoe, love came to stay  
And now it's Christmas every day  
  


I said and now it's Christmas every day  
Oh yeah  
And now it's Christmas every day

Koutarou sings but is soon shut up by his favourite lips on the world. And is kissed, and kissed and kissed, until they are no longer under the plant and are somewhere laying with fingers and legs entwined.

“Now it’s Christmas every day because you are my Christmas, Keiji”

“If we could marry, Koutarou, I would ask you to do it this same night”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, the chapter title was deceiving, sorry if anybody thought this was a proposal chaper hahhaa


	11. New Year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the longest one, but sincerely, I don't even know what is going on hahaa I started writing and writing without really knowing what I was doing, and all the party part feels kind of rushed.
> 
> I hope you enoy it anyway!

”Keiji, why is the freezer full of ice cream?”

Bokuto asks as he opens it to find nothing more than ice cream, where are his frozen mochis?

“Well, if we are going to throw a party, _we are going to throw a party_ ”

Bokuto had come some weeks ago with the crazy idea of gathering some friend in their home to celebrate the end of the year, a small thing he said. However, they couldn’t decide where to put the limit on the invitations, so what was supposed to be a friendly meeting between their closest friends, became a New Year’s Eve party. It’s not like they had invited the whole royal family, but compared to the size of their flat, there would probably be ten more people than it should.

“It’s a grown up party, Akaash’, are you planning to serve ice cream bathed in chocolate sprinkles to our adult gests?”

Akaashi gets up from the sofa following Bokuto’s voice to the kitchen.

“Are you complaining about ice cream bathed in chocolate sprinkles? ‘Cause I’m throwing them right away”

Akaashi opens the cupboard where they keep the sprinkles and grabs to pots (they got too many varieties as Bokuto prefers one colour or another depending on his mood), he chooses the Christmas ones.

“NO! Don’t you dare!” He takes his dear sprinkles and presses them against his chest, protecting the bottles from the Grinch. “Even if they are my babies I still don’t see them at our party”

Akaashi chuckles under his breath, because of course he is not serving anything like that in his party, he would never go that low.

“And you won’t see them” He opens another cupboard showing nothing more than bottles and bottles of alcohol, being more variety than the sprinkles.

Bokuto gasps, they had planned on buying some beers and a pair of bottles of something, but this is craziness.

“I thought that was the rice and pasta cupboard”

“And it still is. See, the rice” He answer at the same times that he grabs a bottles of sake.

“I don’t think my coach would agree with the nutrients of this _rice_ ”

Bokuto takes the bottles from Akaashi’s hands and places it where it was before, in between a bottle of gin and another of tequila. Concern crosses his body, he wanted to have a fun and relaxed party with his boyfriend and friends, but Keiji is never the one to do things halfway and puts so much pressure on himself to make everything perfect. The last he wishes is for Keiji to be stressed or worried during the night.

“Ah, and we need to stop to buy some cocktail glasses, I ordered them online and the delivery was supposed to be today, but it has been delayed, a real inconvenience if you ask me” He starts fidgeting with his fingers, that is the last clue Bokuto needs to be alarmed. “We can’t just serve them in regular glasses, neither in plastic ones, that is not environmental friendly”

Bokuto separates both Akaashi’s hands, and then rubs his against his arms, from the shoulder to the wrist.

“Keiji, what is all this?” He asks because he knows they need to start from the most obvious things to peel the onion to the centre of the problem.

“Well, we are throwing a party, it’s pretty obvious, we need supplements” 

“And we already had, I bought some bag chips and salty cookies, like we agreed”

Bokuto is afraid to open the cupboard were he stored the bags and find another craziness, this time of snacks, inside.

“Yeah, but then it got big and I thought, this is not just our fukurodani team, we can’t give people can bear on a New Year’s Eve party, it would look shabby” Akaashi tries to go to the fidgeting but is stopped by Bokuto, who wraps his hands in his. “So I googled some ideas and I run into this video of ice cream served with alcohol, and I thought, that is cool” He runs his fingers over the grooves of Bokuto’s knuckles, fiddling with Bokuto’s hands instead of his own. “Then I had to watch more videos, because only one cool thing was still shabby”

He moves to open another cupboard, and where there was supposed to be the few bags of snacks Bokudo had bought, was now full to the top. It is an after dinner party, the food was more for setting than for necessity, now it seemed they would have to call their guests to tell them not to eat before coming.

“I have also ordered a themed cake, will love it, but with all the drinks it didn’t fit in the fridge so it’s in our neighbour’s”

Bokuto sighs, he should have guessed something like that would happen, he should have paid more attention about what Keiji was doing and talk more about the party. He shouldn’t have suggested to invite his whole team so Keiji wouldn’t have felt obligated to invite co-workers as well. He has ruined the whole night for his boyfriend as he will spend the whole of it making sure everything is okay.

“Keiji, baby, listen to me carefully” He caress the side of his face trying to transmit him all his affection. “I want you to have fun tonight, not to be a bartender nor a bodyguard. People only want to get drunk, they won’t care if it’s with beer or something fancier”

“Yeah, but…” He is interrupted by Bokuto.

“But nothing, people can serve themselves and we have took out anything that can break, we will also cover the sofa and the table to prevent them getting dirty. Promise me you will just enjoy” Akaashi turns his head away biting his lip, but Bokuto grabs his jaw to force him to look at him. “Keiji?”

“I promise” He finally says with a batted breath.

“If I see you stressing I will call the party off and get you drunk by ourselves”

Akaashi murmurs something similar as “I’m not your child”, but Bokuto lets it slip off, it has already been an achievement to make him agree.

“Now go get dressed or we will be late for the festival” He nudges him by giving him a slap in the butt.

Another tradition they have, along with half of the Tokyo population, is to attend the Oji Inari-jinja Shrine Fox Parade to celebrate the end of the year.

The Japanese legend says that on New Year’s Eve, foxes from all over Japan disguised in human costume, gather under a large tree in order to visit the Oji Inari-jinja Shrine. To honour this tale, because Japan is nothing but a place that pays meticulously respect to its legends and customs, they create an over the top spectacle to celebrate. People dress up in yukatas and cover their faces with fox masks and paint underneath it.

Sometimes it can get scary, as everybody dance, yell, jump and drink, but nobody has a face, and it becomes quite blurry. Akaashi always has nightmares for a whole week after this day.

The yukatas they are wearin match, they are mostly blue with white and gold touches, and Bokuto’s has a volleyball pin on the right of his chest. The both of them are pretty and while holding hands they look like taken out from a models magazine, even though their faces are hidden.

“I wonder what should I wish for, this year” Bokuto mutters while swinging his hand and Akaashi’s one.

“What was that?”

With the masks on the voices go out stifled making the process of hearing harder. Although, being Bokuto the one that has talked is quite surprising, mask or not mask. Since he is feeling his throat sore he decides to take the mask off, for future prevention, in two day he has a match and wants to yell loudly. Maybe he should ask for throat health.

“I was wondering what sh…”

A tug in his sleeve makes him leave the sentence unfinished and look around to find where it has come, to find a figure that for it shape seemed to be a woman, but with the mask who could tell for sure.

“Yes?”

She seemed to hesitate for a few seconds before speaking.

“Are you Bokuto Koutarou?”

The question goes in really broken Japanese, even being the easiest sentence, so she had to be a foreigner.

“Yeah, I’m Bokuto Koutarou” He puffs his chest with the pride he always feels at this situations, even though this time is even better, because never has he been stopped by a not Japanese person.

The woman retrieves the mask revelling a tan face, obscure eyes and even darker hair, she also wears a shy smile half looking at Bokuto half looking at the ground.

“I thought so” She doesn’t add anything else, but Bokuto can see how she is struggling, and even if he hadn’t, there was Keiji pocking him from behind to tell him.

“Are you a fan? You are not Japanese, though, how would you know me?”

She fidgets a bit with her foot on the ground before speaking.

“Yes, I’m from Ecuador but I’m a huge volleyball fan and you are one of my favourites players” At that Bokuto’s eyes go wider than wide, someone from across the world prefers him above local players.

“WHAT. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT ME?” Bokuto hears Akaashi’s chuckle from behind but he couldn’t care less at the moment.

“Your playing style, the power of your spikes, the energy you transmit and…”

She quiets not finishing the sentence and Bokuto, who is already glowing at the compliments, is eager to know what else. Meanwhile, Akaashi keeps a hold on Bokuto’s yukata because sometimes he gets over excited and forgets that people can get scared.

“And?”

“Well…” She kicks imaginary dirt. “I’m not sure how to express this in Japanese, but I’m fan of your relationship with your boyfriend from high school, when you post things is cute and makes me believe in love. Yeah, that” Her face, tan as it is, goes by all kinds of red.

Luckily for everybody, Akaashi has been holding Bokuto, otherwise he would be flying and crushing the poor girl.

“Keiji… KEIJI IS THE BEST!”

After some more meandering yells of how great Keiji is and why is the best and various multiple photos and a promise to ask his national coach for a friendly match against Ecuador, Bokuto asks her if she wants an autograph.

“Yes, please” She pulls out a notebook and a pen from her bag. “To Yelixa”

“Sure, it’s a really cool name. How do you spell it?”” He takes the utensils and starts writing, his dedications always go with a drawn volleyball.

“This is the best birthday present of the world” She smiles timidly while squeezing the notebook against her chest.

“TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY? OH MY GOSH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY YELIXA!”

“Keiji, we are a thing across the world. Let’s take a photo to wish all our fans a happy new year”

“No. We do not have fans, _you_ have fans” 

Bokuto purses his lips but lets go, not wanting to start one of those discussions that at the end of it none of them wins.

“Well, now I know what to wish for, for us to have a fans club” He smiles to himself proudly, raising his jaw. Maybe, even, the people from the club would start merchandising their owls sweatshirts and then all kind of items (mugs, keychains, sheets…). Yes, best wish ever.

Akaashi, on the other hands, debates with himself about the necessity of wishing for that kind of club to never see the light. However, his thoughts are silenced by the roar of drums.

The march is about to start.

The drums sound under a rhythm every time more intense and faster, accelerating the heartbeats along.

And then, when they reach the fastest speed, the carrousel of people kicks off.

They dance, make jumps and sing, without stopping to play the drums. Some of them have ribbons that spin in the air, that makes Bokuto wish he was as light to fly like that.

They both march with them sharing a plastic bottle of hot wine and a smile. There is a brief moment where Bokuto wraps Akaashi by the waist and lifts him, but his arms gets tired soon.

When they finally arrive at the Oji Inari-jinja Shrine, there is already an infinite queue to ask for a wish.

“Oh! Can’t we just come back tomorrow?” Bokuto says, the thought of having to wait standing that much time doesn’t sound appealing.

“Tomorrow will be fuller and we will be hangover”

“Oh” He snorts, patience has never been his strength. “Can I read your hand, then?

Akaashi lifts his hand for Bokuto to put his holding the back of it, leaving his is upside. Bokuto starts tracing some lines with his index, eyebrows frown in concentration.

“Well, here, this little line says that you are going to live a long, long life, you will overpass the 130 years, and this one in here tells me that you will have three cats and a goldfish (the cats won’t eat it!). And this other one revels that you will be having wild sex today”

“Oh, does it says with who, too?”

The person behind them chuckles under them breath, Bokuto passes his glaze from Akaashi to the person to Akaashi again, pursing his lips but not giving a single complaint.

“And this one here says that tomorrow you won’t be able to walk”

In the end, they wish to have such happy moments until they run out of Christmas. Because there are some times, where they aren’t even aware, that they share a single brain cell.

“Do you want me to jerk you off so you can relax?” Bokuto asks casually as he steps into the kitchen.

“I’m relaxed” But he keeps changing the bow of the chips because they don’t match with the ones for the cake.

“C’mon baby” He puts his arms on Akaashi’s shoulders and starts massaging them, they feel stiffer than his coach’s face after a defeat. “I bought us ugly sweaters, go put it on already”

He nudges him softly to their bedroom.

“I don’t wanna wear an ugly sweater, Koutarou. I’m wearing a shirt”

“You gotta do it, I’ve told people it’s the entry fee”

“WHAT?!” It has come out as a question but sounded more like an exclamation. “You haven’t mentioned that”

Bokuto smiles with fake innocence.

“Yep, I know, because you would have gotten against it”

“Of course I would have, nobody wants to start the year wearing an ugly anything!”

Akaashi understand that an ugly sweater has to be ugly, what he doesn’t get, though, is why theirs are reaching that level of ugliness.

Every time someone knocks at the door there is a shot to be drunk, so far the doorbell has rung six times, so Akaashi and Bokuto are five times ahead of everybody else in the drank area. That much that Akaashi almost forgets that he is wearing a vivid green sweater that doesn’t combine with his eyes, embroidered with polar animals and some sewed plastic pearls.

Almost.

Because Oikawa is there to remind it to him.

“Ahhhhh” Loud gasp. “I want your sweater, let’s exchange them!” He exclaims tugging it by the hem.

“Do you like it?” Akaashi asks with genuine surprised. He had thought that not even the borders can be saved, but perhaps he was exaggerating.

“Do I like it? I love it! It’s horrible, an aberration, it’s the ugliest of the party by far” At that point Akaashi stops understanding, Oikawa can be difficult to comprehend sometimes, but this is another level.

“I don’t really get it, Oikawa”

“I will win the contest with it!!” Exclaim as if it was too obvious.

“Mmmm? Contest?”

Suddenly he feels an added weight on his shoulders, when he turns his head he finds Konoha hanging his arm over them.

“My dear Akaashi, hasn’t your airhead boyfriend informed you about the contest?”

Akaashi purses his lips, no, it seems like his boyfriend had forgotten to tell him a lot of things.

“Well, as I already let the cat out of the bag, I will explain the rest. At the end of the night (or the beginning of morning, I’m not sure), we will vote for who we consider that is wearing the ugliest sweater of us all”

Akaashi cycles through thirty different facial expressions, and none of them is contentment.

“Is that so?”

“Yes!” Oikawa claps with pure joy.

Konoha snorts and squeezes his right shoulder before retrieving the arm. He is absolutely no winning that contest, he _doesn’t_ want to win that contest. He _loves_ being well dressed.

“Oikawa, let’s exchange them”

It’s not like Oikawa’s wasn’t awful, it is, but at least Bokuto won’t take joy if any of them wins. Besides, truth be told, his original one has more numbers to be claimed the ugliest.

Someone suggests to play bite the bag, but as they don’t have any plastic bag in the house, a piece of paper it’s used instead. Lifting plane paper from the tables using only the mouth it’s easier said than done, so the people end up really drunk and the piece of paper damply stacked to the table.

“HEY, HEY, HEY, I’m the best!”

“Shut up you silly owl, you cheated” Kuroo accuses him.

“You said that but what I hear is a sore loser” Bokuto sticks out his tongue.

“No, he is right, you cheated, Bo” Sarukui takes the damp paper and sticks it to his forehead, Bokuto whines in disgust.

“How do you even cheat at bite the bag? I had my arms glued to my bag the whole time!”

Sarukui burst into a laugh as if someone had told the funniest joke existed, infecting Kuroo along. Bokuto moves away from them, not feeling drunk enough to laugh at his own cost.

“ ‘Kaashi!! You have the most incredible boyfriend, I won at bite the bag!”

The moment he reaches Akaashi and he turns to face him, his eyes almost pop out of his face.

“Keiji, what happened to your sweater?”

“I changed it, isn’t it obvious?”

“WHY?” For the indignation that fills those three letters anybody could have sword that he was just told to be benched for the whole next year.

“Because it seems that there is a contest that the best most incredible boyfriend organized but didn’t bother to mention to his own boyfriend”

Bokuto’s face pales as he takes his hand to the back of his neck, then, while avoiding Akaashi’s glaze, he spots a forgotten ice cream cup and takes it.

“Bokuto?”

“Sorry, ‘Kaash, this needs to be eaten before melts, because we don’t want that, do we?”

However, Akaashi waits (non) patiently for Bokuto to finish the ice cream bathed in alcohol, not planning on letting him scape.

“Oh, I think they are calling me for another round”

Bokuto tries to run away, but Akaashi is fastest and grabs him by the collard of the sweater, bringing him close to himself.

“Because it seems that there is a contest that the best most incredible boyfriend organized but didn’t bother to mention to his own boyfriend” He repeats pressing his lips to the other’s ear.

Bokuto gulps afraid to turn his face.

“Feel lucky that I only exchanged it, because believe me when I say I was tempted to go an put the finest shirt I own”

Bokuto glimpses Oikawa giving him an encouraging thump up from across the room.

“I was going to, but I knew you would refuse”

“So, how you knew I wouldn’t want it, you forced me to”

Bokuto finally spoons around wearing a horrified expression that matched perfectly the sweater.

“It sounds bad when you put it like that”

That earns him a look.

“I made a bet, Keiji!” He finally breaks crying. “I was bragging and then, I don’t know how, ended up into a bet”

Akaashi sighs, it’s not an uncommon thing for Bokuto to babble and putting himself into situation he wasn’t looking for.

“What is it about?”

“If I don’t get any of us into the most voted I will have to do the training laps dressed as a sexy bunny, and the same for Oikawa”

Akaashi can’t help the smirk that takes possession of his face, he blames it on the alcohol. It’s not an awful image the one that filters into his mind, not at all.

“Stop, I know what you are thinking” Bokuto says debating between indignation and satisfaction. “I can dress up for you, I would even dance, but Keiji, I really, really don’t want to go running around town with the rest of the team wearing a bunny tail and tight shorts”

He rests his head on Akaashi’s shoulder and leans into the touch when Akaashi starts patting his head. If he just could feel as safe in the cruelty of his gym.

“With this ugly you have on, you won’t have any problem”

“I don’t know, you gave yours to Oikawa and our team won’t vote for any of us”

“Don’t be so sure about that”

And that way is why Akaashi found himself playing pin pong drinks, trying to buy votes by winning. Especially among the volleyball players, who dive fast into the bet as believing that being a pro athlete is an easy win. Well, he has been a setter for years, and nowadays he stills tosses the ball to Bokuto time to time (when his boyfriend won’t stop insisting), he definitely has better aim than a middle blocker, pro o not pro.

He, also, ends up drunker that he had ambition.

“Keiji! What are you doing?” Bokuto rushes over him and grabs his hands to pull him away from the laptop.

Nonetheless, Bokuto could have just moved his lips without really speaking because not a single word reached Akaashi’s ears.

“WHAT?”

Bokuto shakes his head and goes back to the laptop to lower the music volume.

“Keiji, you can’t put the music this loud, people weren’t even able to hear _me_!”

Keiji tilts his head thinking and Bokuto can’t resist kissing him.

“I like this, another one” Akaashi puts his lips for Bokuto to give him a new kiss, but once he puts apart he goes back to the topic.

“The volume of the music, Keiji” He really feels weird scolding Akaashi, it’s the most uncommon thing in their relationship.

“I wanted to feel the beats”

Akaashi says as a simple explanation, he wanted that his body felt the vibrations that came out of the music.

“You can feel my heartbeats” He hugs him and Akaashi brings his ear to his chest, humming happily. Yep, those ones are much, much better, how hasn’t he thought about them first? “But seriously, Keiji, the neighbours will complain, be careful”

Were Akaashi a cat, he would be purring.

Wait.

The neighbours?

Oh!

The cake!

But he doesn’t want to move, it’s cosy into Koutarou’s arms.

“What is wrong?” He asks seen the little shifts in Akaashi’s face.

“I never wanna move from your body, would you mind if I sewed us together?

Bokuto burst into a laugh hugging him impossibly closer.

“It would be a terrible work, you suck at sewing”

Akaashi bites him over the clothes, getting another laugh in return, even though it was the absolute truth. However, before he can retort they are interrupted.

“C’mon lovebirds, it’s almost midnight” Kuroo drags them, with Akaashi still glued to Bokuto’s chest, to the living room where everybody was already gathering by the television.

_6 minutes to start the New Year._

“Uh! I always get so anxious!”

_5 minutes to midnight._

“Don’t be, it’s just another year full of great moments, and a lot of breakfast, and drinks, and sex, and breakfast in bed, and sex after breakfast in bed” Akaashi starts pinpointing.

_4 minutes to midnight._

“And you, Keiji? Will you be in this new year along the breakfast?” For a brief second he forgets about the television and their friends surrounding them, hypnotized by the intensity of Akaashi’s glaze.

“Yeah, at every breakfast”

_3 minutes to midnight._

“Me too, I’ll be at every breakfast of your new year” Konoha says, sneaking into the conversation.

“AND ME AS WELL!” Oikawa throws his almost one hundred and ninety centimetres over the three man.

_2 minutes to midnight_.

Akaashi runs from the group to the bedroom because he has forgotten to take out the serpentines and the confetti and he rushes back throwing everything carelessly over the table and the floor.

He trips, smashing against the floor and some feet on his way to Bokuto.

_1 minute to midnight_.

Two gentle arms grab him lifting him from the floor, his feet never reach ground, though, he remains suspended in the air. He can’t see a face because he is back to the person, as if he needed anyway, that heartbeat that rumbles against his skin he knows it by heart.

“HAPPY NEW YEAAAAAAAAAR” There is the yell of all the voice tangled, and the bells from the television, and the pop of the serpentines.

There is also this:

“HAPPY NEW YEAR KEIJI MY LOVE”

And the two arms spinning him around and around and around with the music of a laugh in his ears.

Then he is put on the floor, spun around and kissed with open eyes.

Because he wants to look right into his future year.

It’s golden.

“Try not to rip them, I want to use them at home”

Bokuto looks at Akaashi with deflated hair and eyes.

“Agaash’ have a little compassion for your boyfriend” A puddle of tears almost forming in his eyes.

Over the bed there is a set of clothes (too little fabric to be called that) all well-organized that could perfectly fit for a playboy magazine photoshoot.

“You made the bet, you lost the bed, now you face the consequences” Bokuto whines at those words. “Sorry baby, or maybe I should start calling you bunny”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!
> 
> And as the years ends, also does this Christmas special, it's been fun and I'm really glad to have done this, because I'm such a slow writer and this has been a challenged to prove my laziness wrong.
> 
> I wanted to thank CheCheCheer and Sleepwhoisshe to support me with their sweet comments, they really cheered me up :D :D
> 
> Also, Yelixa migh or might not be my real friend who is getting older today (what better gift that Bo congratulating her??) (she would say Chris Evans...).
> 
> And, if you are curious, Oikawa also lost the bet, but he has no shame on dressing up haha


End file.
